Thursday, September 13, 2012

Scottish Government's "Community Right to Buy" - Could the community take control of the whole of Sandown for small scale agriculture?

There's plently of Land around Nairn and between here and Inverness zoned for development now (and nobody seems to be rushing) so why ruin the beautiful vistas across Sandown with housing? Imagine a lot more of Sandown as plots and Community Orchards etc? Just a dream? Not if a Scottish Government bill being formulated now goes through and gives communities like Nairn the right to do just that. According to the BBC:

"Urban communities could be given powers that would allow them to take over unused land and grow crops, flowers or plant trees.
The "community right to grow" is among ideas contained in the Scottish government's proposed Community Empowerment and Renewal Bill.
Other suggestions include extending rural community land buy-out rights to large towns and cities." There's more here.

Maybe one day we could grow more of our own food, provide employment and create sustainable economic activity by using the Sandown Lands in this way? A mad pipe dream or an alternative vision that makes sense for the challenges that face our community in this new millennium?

1 comment:

Greg said...

Sandown Community Windfarm. I'm not kidding.