Land Matters

Following the publication of Common Good. A Quick Guide in December 2007, I indicated that I was writing a more substantial volume on common land rights and how to research them. It’s taken me longer than expected but last weekend at Treefest, I launched Community Land Rights. A Citizen’s Guide.

It is the first comprehensive overview of land rights that belong to communities in Scotland. It focuses on the range of common land that exists throughout rural and urban Scotland and provides a how-to guide to undertaking research into common good land, commonties, commons and other forms of commonly held land. The Guide explains how to use sources such as the Register of Sasines, Land Valuation Survey 1909 and the National Farm Survey to identify community land rights as the first stage in a process of asserting and restoring rights that belong to the people.

Please support my work by buying a copy at my online shop. Thank you.

Hee, hee. This looks like fun. Cartie racing in Scotland. I’ll be there

Came across an interesting campaign to save a bit of green space - North Kelvin Meadow - that has been developed into a garden and allotments. Glasgow City Council want to sell the gound. I wonder if it is Common Good? I will email the campaign at northkelvinmeadow.com and ask them what they know

I have a stall at this year’s Treefest in Inverleith park, Edinburgh on 18 & 19th July. I’m stall number 10 in the market place - Community land Rights - Andy Wightman. Come along and see me!

I’ve been receiving information from Local Authorities in response to my latest Freedom of Information request for details of Common Good Funds. Without having carried out any detailed analysis, it is clear that many Councils still have not properly audited their Common Good Fund and checked that all the property that should be in it is in fact recorded. Two things are obvious from this.

First of all, all those with an interest in the Common Good need to create a better way of  communicating with each other. So, I have set up a Google Group. This will enable folk in the group to email each other easily and share ideas. Here is the Group home page.

Secondly, we need to map Common Good land ourselves. This is quite easy using Google Maps and I have made a start with Edinburgh and Glasgow. Anyone who wants to join in can do so as a collaborator - contact me if you’re interested. Meanwhile, here’s what the Edinburgh maps looks like so far (actually, it should shaded overlays of Common Good land but some browsers don’t seem to show it properly - anyway, click on the link below the map and you’ll see it in a bigger window.

View Edinburgh Common Good in a larger map