Policy & Politics
How to fund community buy-outs?
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- Wednesday, 24 March 2010 11:32 Tamsin Morris Hits: 1220
At a right to buy conference in Inverness, Professor Jim Hunter has suggested that a levy on energy supplies using the Beauly-Denny powerline could be used to fund future community buyouts. Citing the lack of funding currently available for buyouts, Prof Hunter suggested that the Shetland oil fund should be used as a model for securing future funding. He proposed that a similar system could be implemented on the power supplies generated within northern Scotland, with a levy producing a reserve fund which could be used by future community groups seeking to buy-out land.
Sadly, the response from Roseanna Cunningham MSP was luke-warm to say the least, as she highlighted that taxation powers were outwith Scottish Government control and that public finances were likely to be further squeezed in the future. But whilst it may not be proceeding anytime soon, the suggestion has bought land-reform funding back on the agenda, with articles in several parts of the Scottish media. Combined with the Westray wind turbine making in onto the BBC News at ten yesterday, maybe community control is starting to make it into the mainstream?
