Reuse of Vacant and Derelict Land

The Scottish Land Commission has today published our report and guidance on the reuse of vacant and derelict land (VDL) in Scotland.

There are over 11,000 hectares of vacant and derelict land in Scotland. This land harms well-being and limits opportunities, and they are particularly concentrated in deprived communities. Investing in these sites and bringing them back into productive use could help play a role in tackling climate change, reducing inequalities, improving well-being and delivering inclusive growth.

Decisions about what to do with a vacant site, including if and when to dispose of it, are most often made on the basis of fairly narrow cost-benefit analysis. Anticipated financial returns to the owner are usually the most important consideration and when these numbers don’t stack up, nothing happens. BiGGAR Economics was commissioned to make the case for a change in the approach to the reuse of this land and to outline guidance for those involved in the process.

Kathie Pollard and Kirsty Tait from the Scottish Land Commission discuss a new framework that assesses the potential benefits of bringing vacant and derelict sites back into use, with Graeme Blackett from Biggar Economics, in the below video.