The Community Empowerment Act (Scotland) 2015 and re-launch of the Scottish Land Fund grant programme present new opportunities for communities to own and manage assets in their communities. A core element of this is the extension of the Community Right to Buy to urban areas and provisions for the transfer of public assets to community organisations. To support these provisions the Scottish Land Fund will be expanded and available to Scottish communities in urban as well as rural areas.
This workshop will explore the details of the new legislation, what it means for community organisations and present real examples of other communities that are now owning and managing land and buildings. Speakers will include the Highlands & Islands Enterprise Scottish Land Fund Team on the extended fund and associated support, the COSS (Community Ownership Support Service) team at DTAS on new opportunities for asset ownership through public asset transfer, the Community Land Team at the Scottish Government, and the BIG Lottery on their new and upcoming grants programme for communities. You will also hear from the real experts – communities with experience of setting up and running projects.