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Chamber

Plenary, 14 Sep 2005

14 Sep 2005 · S2 · Plenary

Item of business

Future of Crofting

Macmillan, Maureen Lab Highlands and Islands Watch on SPTV

All of us in the chamber are grateful to John Farquhar Munro for lodging the motion. The consultation on the draft Crofting Reform etc Bill has raised a number of issues and worries in crofting communities, as he and others outlined.

John Farquhar Munro and Alasdair Morrison have an advantage over most of us, as they are the genuine article—they are genuine crofters. Like others, I am just an onlooker. However, I do not romanticise crofting; I know that some crofters do not work their land. I hate to see the crofts in some parts of the western Highlands where there are only nettles, thistles, rushes and rusting cars. I wonder what on earth can be done about that and why something is not being done. I do not want that to be the future of crofting, nor do I want the future of crofting to be what I saw in a solicitor's window in Dingwall recently: three crofting assignations up for sale, with upset prices of £50,000, £60,000 and £80,000. I wondered what the real price would be, who would get the crofts and what they would do with the land when they got it. Would they just keep a pony or would they genuinely want to work the land?

We must have mechanisms to remedy the situation in which land that could be used for agriculture is neglected and the situation in which people with deep pockets can buy crofts and not too many questions are asked about what they do with them afterwards. There are two main concerns. The first is that the Crofters Commission should have sufficient powers to deal with crofters who do not use their land properly. The second is that there should be a way of regulating the housing market as it impinges on crofts. It is obvious from some high-profile cases—such as the case in Taynuilt that was mentioned and others in Shetland and Tiree—that the crofting community feels insufficiently consulted in the planning process. Local authorities make housing decisions that shock the local crofting community when they are put into practice.

We must get the balance right between the housing needs of the non-crofting community and the needs of crofting. We must reward retiring crofters and encourage incomers who are genuine crofting enthusiasts. One Shetland crofter has said that they do not care whether people come from Lithuania, Hungary or wherever, as long as they want to croft, because we need more crofters coming into our communities. However, we must be careful not to disadvantage young local people who are seeking their first croft. A balancing act is required.

No one solution will fit all the areas from Shetland to the Black Isle. We need to be aware of local circumstances, especially where housing pressure impinges on crofting. If we can deal with the pressured housing areas through housing legislation, surely we can, through the draft bill, protect crofting areas that are under similar pressure. At the cross-party group meeting today, the Crofters Commission hinted that it could perhaps consider that matter and find a way of dealing with specific problems in certain areas.

As others have said, the planners, the commission and the crofting communities must work together to ensure that crofting is not overwhelmed in areas where there is high housing pressure, but the crofting community must be prepared to co-operate in tackling housing needs, perhaps by releasing parts of common grazings, although that is not always appropriate.