Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 (2015 Asp 6). Country/Territory United Kingdom Territorial subdivision Scotland Document type Legislation Date 2015 Source FAO, FAOLEX Long titleAn Act of the Scottish Parliament to make provision about national outcomes; to confer functions on certain persons in relation to services provided by, and assets of, certain public bodies; to amend Parts 2 and 3 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003; to enable certain bodies to buy abandoned, neglected or detrimental land; to amend section 7C of the Forestry Act 1967; to enable the Scottish Ministers to make provision about supporters’ involvement in and ownership of football clubs; to make provision for registers of common good property and about disposal and use of such property; to restate and amend the law on allotments; to enable participation in decision-making by specified persons having public functions; to enable local authorities to reduce or remit non-domestic rates; and for connected purposes. Subject Agricultural & rural development, Environment gen., Fisheries, Forestry, Land & soil, Wild species & ecosystems Keyword Agricultural development Public participation Community management Local government Environmental planning Sustainable development Policy/planning Inland fisheries Land reform Land tenure Land-use planning Common property Transfer Private land Public land Non-governmental entity Agricultural land Expropriation Smallholders/peasants Management/conservation Protected area Geographical area Atlantic Ocean Islands, Europe, Europe and Central Asia, North Atlantic, North Sea, North-East Atlantic, Northern Europe Abstract This Act provides a legal framework that will promote and encourage community empowerment and participation. It creates new rights for community bodies and places new duties on public authorities. The Act amends the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, extending the community right to buy to all of Scotland, urban and rural, and improving procedures. It also introduces a new provision for community bodies to purchase land which is abandoned, neglected or causing harm to the environmental wellbeing of the community, where the owner is not willing to sell that land. The purchase must be in the public interest and compatible with the achievement of sustainable development of the land. The Act also allows for different types of community bodies to be involved in forestry leasing. “Land” for this purpose includes inland waters (within the meaning of section 69(1) of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 2003). Full text English Website www.opsi.gov.uk References - Legislation Amends Forestry Act 1967 (Chapter 10). Legislation | United Kingdom | 1967 (2019) Keyword: Basic legislation, Forest management/forest conservation, Forestry protection measures, Institution, Timber extraction/logging, Authorization/permit, Public forest, Private forest, Contract/agreement, Afforestation/reforestation, Special fund, Land tenure, Expropriation Source: FAO, FAOLEX Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 (2003 asp 2). Legislation | United Kingdom | 2003 (2018) Keyword: Basic legislation, Land reform, Land tenure, Lease, Legal proceedings/administrative proceedings, Servitude, Land valuation, Non-governmental entity, Ownership, Cultural heritage Source: FAO, FAOLEX Implemented by Community Empowerment (Registers of Land) (Scotland) Regulations 2016 (S.S.I. No. 362 of 2016). Legislation | United Kingdom | 2016 Keyword: Land reform, Public land, Transfer, Community management Source: FAO, FAOLEX Community Planning (Locality Planning) (Scotland) Regulations 2016 (S.S.I. No. 364 of 2016). Legislation | United Kingdom | 2016 Keyword: Land-use planning, Local government, Zoning Source: FAO, FAOLEX Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 (Supplementary and Consequential Provisions) Order 2018 (S.S.I. No. 97 of 2018). Legislation | United Kingdom | 2018 Keyword: Land reform, Public land, Agricultural land, Lease, Legal proceedings/administrative proceedings Source: FAO, FAOLEX Community Right to Buy (Abandoned, Neglected or Detrimental Land) (Applications, Ballots and Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Regulations 2018 (S.S.I. No. 140 of 2018). Legislation | United Kingdom | 2018 Keyword: Land reform, Public land, Transfer, Community management, Abandoned land/unoccupied land, Legal proceedings/administrative proceedings Source: FAO, FAOLEX Amended by Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 (Supplementary and Consequential Provisions) Order 2018 (S.S.I. No. 97 of 2018). Legislation | United Kingdom | 2018 Keyword: Land reform, Public land, Agricultural land, Lease, Legal proceedings/administrative proceedings Source: FAO, FAOLEX