Freedom of Information Request - Agricultural new entrants
Date: 24 October 2024
Our ref: SIR177425/A4790886
Information Request – Agricultural new entrants
Your Request
Can you please provide me with your policy for providing agricultural new entrant opportunities on the NatureScot estate in Scotland?
Can you provide me with approximately how much agricultural land NatureScot is the landlord of too?
Our Response
1. Your policy for providing agricultural new entrant opportunities
NatureScot does not have a new entrants into agriculture policy, so we are unable to provide this. The policy lead for providing support for new entrants into agriculture is the Scottish Government Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate (SG ARE). SG ARE provided support for new entrants through their new entrant schemes and also through the Farming Advice Service (FAS). Please note that the new entrants schemes are currently closed, however FAS remains open.
2. How much agricultural land NatureScot is the landlord of
NatureScot have a property register which we must maintain under the Community Empowerment Act. This lists all of the properties that we own and also the ones we lease. There is also a map available.
The amount of agricultural land that NatureScot is a landlord for is limited and relates to three National Nature Reserve properties at Ben Lui, Tentsmuir, and St. Cyrus. These are managed through grazing leases.
| TOTAL Area of NatureScot owned land | 33,759.91 hectares |
|---|---|
| TOTAL Area of Land Holdings with Grazing Licenses (Ben Lui SSSI, St. Cyrus NNR and Tentsmuir NNR) | 3,797.52 hectares |
| TOTAL Area of NatureScot owned land which lie completely within agricultural land use boundaries | 1,081.36 hectares |
How We Handled Your Request
We believe you have asked for environmental information as defined in the Environmental Information (Scotland Regulations 2004 (‘the EIRs’), so we are dealing with your request under those regulations. To be able to use the EIRs, we must apply an exemption under section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (‘FOISA’). The Scottish Information Commissioner’s guidance recommends that public authorities apply this exemption to environmental information and handle request under the EIRs.
If you would like to find out more about the access to information legislation, there is a guidance booklet available on the Scottish Information Commissioner’s website.
Review and Appeal
I hope this information meets your requirements, but if you are dissatisfied with how we have responded to your information request, please write to us within 40 working days explaining your concerns. You can contact us at Battleby, Redgorton, Perth, PH1 3EW or email us at [email protected]. We will carry out a review of our response and contact you with our findings within 20 working days.
If you are not satisfied following this, you can make an appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner within 6 months. The Scottish Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
Scottish Information Commissioner
Kinburn Castle
Doubledykes Road
St Andrews
Fife
KY16 9DS
Telephone: 01334 464610
Yours sincerely
FOI Officer,
NatureScot
Document downloads
Due to accessibility issues the attached information, referenced above, is available on request by contacting the FOI team at [email protected]. Please reference the case number (starting with SIR).
