Public Support for Crofting Development

1. Public Support for Crofting Development Presentation to the Cross Party Group on Crofting 29th January 2014 Gordon Jackson Scottish Government John King Registers of Scotland Neil Ross Highlands and Islands Enterprise Susan Walker Crofting Commission

2. Pre 2010 • Committee of Inquiry on crofting (2008) • “Government will enable innovation, enterprise, inclusion and institutional capacity for community action to ensure crofting contributes to society’s goals” • Croft entrant schemes • Legislation • Crofting • Land Reform • Crofting Communities Development Scheme • Bull Hire Scheme

3. Crofting Community Development Whole Community Led Development Post 2010 C r o f t i n g system C r o f t i n g C o m m u n i t i e s Crofters, their families and neighbours • Registers of Scotland (RoS) • Host for Crofting Register • Registering crofts • Registration of common grazings • Registration of land held runrig • Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH)t • Supporting high nature value • agriculture • Evaluation of ‘conservation’ grants • (through SRDP) • - Research • Local Authorities (LA’s) • Planning regulator • Development of planning • policy • Determination of • planning applications • Influencing policy development • Scottish Government (SG) Legislative framework • Future of crofting • - Policy lead • SGRPID • - Scottish Rural Development Programme • Single Farm payments • Rural development contracts - Land manager options • Rural development contracts – Rural priorities • Croft house grants • Crofting counties agricultural grant scheme • Less favoured area support scheme • Bull Hire Scheme • Crofting Commission (CC) Regulator • - Protection of crofting assets • Enhancing occupation of crofts • Ensuring purposeful use • Approval of appropriate development • Managing de-crofting & apportionment • Maintaining the Register of Crofters • Supporting Crofting Register (Map based) • mapping & regi’n common grazings • registrations of indiividual crofts • Other regulation of crofting • Lead on reporting state of crofting • Influencing policy development • Highlands and Islands Enterprise • Integrating • - Next generation of crofters • - Skills and capacity building • Collaboration with CC • Influencing policy development

4. Crofting Commission Regulation Crofters’ duties Grazing committees Common grazings – assets! Assessors network Duty to report Policy development

5. SG grant funding Crofting Counties Agricultural Grant Scheme (CCAGS) Croft House Grant Scheme (CHGS) Crofters Cattle Quality Improvement Scheme (CCQIS) New Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP)

6. Crofting Register Provide a basis for crofting in the 21st C Protect and secure croft land for crofters Support crofting communities Promote economic growth – enable croft land to realise its economic potential Provide a means for resolving long-standing boundary disputes ros.gov.uk Recording and safeguarding your rights

7. Crofting Community Development Whole Community Led development HIE Capacity and skills Succession Community land ownership Community-led development Public sector collaboration Influencing policy

8. LAs - Business Gateway • A range of free seminars and workshops • A network of business advisers • Sharing of experience and expertise • Business planning • Start-up • Growing businesses • Reaching full potential • Business Support • Accessing finance • Impartial advice • Specialist advisory services

9. Collaboration An imperative to realise opportunities and agree priorities Joint communications Policy and research Planning Geographic focus

10. Realising the potential “Government [in close collaboration with its agencies] will enable innovation, enterprise, inclusion and institutional capacity for community action to ensure crofting contributes to society’s goals”