Author: Rhoda Grant

Highlands and Islands Labour MSP, Rhoda Grant, is delighted to see her motion on “Green Lairds” debated in Parliament today (Thursday 30th September) and calls for greater land reform and regulation by the Scottish Government.  Her motion seeks to address the emergence of “Green Lairds” and their exploitation of our unregulated land market to purchase land in rural areas including the Highlands and Islands.

These private purchasers and businesses buy land due to the climate emergency and to offset their carbon emissions elsewhere.  They are then able to claim Government grants and access beneficial tax arrangements, which in turn inflates land values. This disadvantages local communities as they are priced out of purchasing local land.

The MSP has urged the Scottish Government to drastically increase the regulation surrounding Scotland’s land markets to “create a more just and fairer Scotland”.

The MSP has said that this can be done by giving intervention powers to the Scottish Land Commission to act on land monopolies and to better enable public interest purchases. There should also be a cap on the total public subsidy that can be accessed by large land owners.  We should also act on Community Land Scotland’s suggestion for a Community Wealth Fund and task Co-operative Development Scotland with promoting co-operative and mutual ownership of land.

Compared to other countries, Scotland is considered to have very little land regulation. This has led to over 50% of rural Scotland being owned by a small number of private owners.

Speaking after the debate Rhoda Grant MSP said: “It is vital that these businesses tackle their carbon emissions but not at the expense of the Scottish people. Buying land to simply off-set their bad behaviour elsewhere is not acceptable.

“Scotland has had an unregulated land market for decades but sadly, we are now seeing a new type of exploitation. We are seeing the commodification and financialisation of the climate emergency which is stimulating private land grabbing.

“For example, these multi-million-pound businesses can take money from the public purse through grant funding to plant trees and build corporate reputation. Some purchasers are also likely to hedge against future carbon tax liabilities too. It’s a win win situation for them yet it disadvantages local communities from buying land that they know and tackling the carbon emergency locally.

Mrs Grant continued: “I am today, urging the Scottish Government to make bold moves to increase land regulations and to encourage community ownership. This will create a more just and fairer Scotland and it will protect our country from this and future exploitation.”

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Highlands and Islands Labour MSP, Rhoda Grant, and Labour Councillor, Jimmy Gray, have briefed the Chair of the Labour Party on their concerns over the Levelling Up funding being allocated to the Highlands and Islands region.

When the Chair of the Party, Anneliese Dodds MP, visited Inverness recently, Mrs Grant and Councillor Gray, took the opportunity to flag the issue up to her.

Mrs Grant has previously written to Michael Gove in the UK Government expressing her disappointment that the councils in the Highlands and Islands region have been placed in levels 2 and 3 of the fund despite the recognition from the EU in the past that the region has specific challenges in terms of geographical scale and sparcity of population. The Levelling Up fund will not amount to the same as the financial support given by the EU in the past.

Anneliese Dodds said ““Again and again we’re seeing that the UK Government has nothing to offer the different parts of our country beyond press releases and empty rhetoric.

“Rather than targeting support to where it is most needed, they’re pitting region against region and town against town to bid for pots of cash from Westminster. And the SNP are taking a similar centralising approach in Holyrood.

“We need a proper plan that will make sure everyone in the country, from the Highlands and Islands to Land’s End, have opportunities on their doorstep and that no-one feels they have to get out of their local area to get on.”

Rhoda Grant said “Rural poverty and depravation do not show up easily in the indicators used by both the Scottish and UK Government, which is largely postcode based. In rural areas the poor live side by side with the very rich and therefore the real disadvantage faced in these communities is hidden.

“In the Highlands and Islands many of these issues are also masked because of the success of some parts of Inverness compared with the rest of the area. Often our young people are forced to leave to seek employment and housing and many areas are extremely fragile because of this.”

Councillor Gray said “It was really refreshing to meet up with a UK politician with a firm grasp of all the challenges facing the Highlands of Scotland and with some really clear ideas of what is needed to try and deal with these issues.

“Anneliese is all too aware of the dangers of centralisation within Scotland and the accompanying risks to the economy and the quality of life of people in the Highlands and Islands. She is also very clear of the responsibilities of the UK Government, particularly considering all the rhetoric about the net benefit for every part of the UK from leaving the EU, much of that hype now looks really so much like empty talk.”

Mrs Grant also cited the Scottish Government’s centralisation agenda as a key factor in these trends. She said “We heard recently that the Scottish Government has vowed to return to Labour policy of dispersing public service jobs throughout the country and yet in Highlands and Islands they are railroading HIAL into centralising Air Traffic Control jobs in Inverness, taking them away from our rural areas, at the same time.

“Put all these factors into the melting pot and it’s painting a pretty grim picture for the economy and infrastructure in the north” continued Rhoda Grant “but Labour will work to have this decision overturned.”

Highlands and Islands Labour MSP, Rhoda Grant, was shaken but definitely stirred when she joined Caithness Roads Recovery campaigners in Caithness.

Mrs Grant met Helen Campbell and Iain Gregory on Monday for a tour of some of the worst roads in Thurso.

The MSP has supported the campaign to have local roads resurfaced and repaired as a matter of urgency in Caithness and North West Sutherland and has previously contacted Highland Council and the Scottish Government, joining the concerns of residents.

“You can hear descriptions of the problems, and see photos, but to drive along those roads and see the damage for yourself just brings home what people have been telling me and just what they have been suffering,” said Mrs Grant.

“It was definitely a shake, rattle and rolling time along some roads which residents are refusing or reluctant to use anymore, dodging the potholes and crawling along at a low speed.

“I am happy to support continuing pressure on Scottish Government Ministers and would be willing to sit around the table with cross-party politicians to acknowledge the scale of the problem and solve it.

“Years and years of underfunding by the Scottish Government has led to budget and staff cut-backs and now the gaps are literally beginning to show!”

Mrs Grant also witnessed more traffic on the roads, as many people are opting for a staycation this year and added that, while the area wanted to encouraged tourists it must also ensure that it has the infrastructure to cope with them.

A spokesperson for the campaign said: “Caithness Roads Recovery are delighted that Rhoda Grant MSP visited Caithness to see things for herself. We strongly urge the Highland Council and the Scottish Government to sit down and address this crisis as a matter of urgency”

Highlands and Islands MSP Rhoda Grant has now received this update from Highland Council on the progress with a new system at Raigmore Interchange. It has been passed to the constituents concerned:

“Since our last correspondence with David Stewart MSP in November 2019, the Council has been working with Transport Scotland and Sustrans to model and understand the various options at the Interchange to ensure a safe, cohesive route for pedestrians and cyclists to move around the full gyratory. This has involved lengthy traffic modelling using Transport Scotland’s consultant Jacobs, to ensure we understood the impact of full signalisation on the Raigmore Interchange, the time delay for pedestrians and cyclists wishing to cross the junction and for vehicles travelling around.

“You will be aware that the speed limit at the interchange was reduced at the end of 2020 and is now 30mph. In addition, there is an agreed option which is being taken from concept design through to developed design in partnership with Transport Scotland, The Highland Council, and Sustrans. Following Transport Scotland’s Investment Decision Making Board funding review in April 21, Highland Council has received confirmation that £1.14 Million funding is available for the active travel route, including the signalisation of the interchange. This funding will enable pedestrians and cyclists to access all linked active travel routes on their onward journey.

Transport Scotland have confirmed that BEAR Scotland will appoint a team from Jacobs to progress the detailed design of the active travel corridor through Raigmore.  They can complete the design, drawings, specification and contract tender documentation by the end of the calendar year. This team will work in partnership with Transport Scotland, Highland Council and Sustrans to ensure the Active Travel Link is delivered.

Lastly, it appears there may have been some confusion with the Raigmore Active Travel Link project, which links Millburn Road at the interchange up to the Golden bridge, as this new active travel link is due to be completed in September 2021, and will link into Inverness Campus providing a safe alternative route away from the trunk road network.

We intend to keep you and the public informed about the Raigmore Interchange project when it reaches the construction phase. It has already been agreed that we will provide you with an update by week commencing 19^th July.”