This document summarizes Mike Danson's presentation on community ownership of land and renewable energy development in Scotland. Some key points include:
- Community buyouts of land through the Community Right to Buy program has allowed communities to own and manage land, leading to new economic opportunities.
- Renewable energy development is a major focus, with a goal of sourcing 80% of Scotland's electricity from renewables by 2020.
- Community energy projects provide benefits like increased skills and jobs, more self-sufficient energy, and potential cost savings for residents.
- Successful community trusts demonstrate long-term planning, entrepreneurship including tourism, forestry, and emphasis on social capital.
Promoting Renewable Energy in Community Buy-Out Areas in the Highlands & Islands - Mike Danson
1. Mike Danson
University of the West of Scotland
UWS and Oxfam Seminar Series
Whose Economy?
Friday 25th March 2011
UHI, Inverness
2. Peripheral and marginal regions
inappropriate application of core values, processes and strategies
belief that ideas, innovation etc flows from core → periphery
Gaelic language and economic development
survived especially in Gàidhealtachd but also in industrial cities
by innovation and adaptation
Land reform
against 200 years of landlordism, clearances, degradation of land
and communities
Local and regional economic development
researching and applying lessons across boundaries of importance
of enterprise, social capital, assets
3. Issue: Ownership of land and assets
stifling enterprise and sustainable community development, and
natural environment - degradation of flora, fauna, landscapes, land
through ownership of land for „consumption of [private] leisure‟
Solution: „community buy-out‟ or common
ownership
But classical issue over land held in common
economic literature identifies „The Tragedy of the Commons‟
Argument that, without recognisable stewardship,
land and resources can be over-utilised cf. under-
utilised under private landlordism
4. „The Tragedy‟ highlights the issue that .. “different
interest groups with different agendas, have
conflicting opinions on certain issues” (Morgan-
Davies and Waterhouse 2010)
and under private ownership / landlords no forum to resolve
conflicts
Solution offered by the right to buy (CRtB)
legislation permitting communities to own and
manage the land
Necessitates the establishment of companies,
limited by guarantee, to manage the common
resource
6. Scottish Land Fund (financed from the national
lottery) administered by state regional
development agencies.
Aims to contribute to sustainable development
in rural Scotland by assisting communities to
acquire, develop and manage local land or land
assets. Pioneering in stimulating investment in
community development
7. Slee report (2008) highlights the main feature of
CRtB
“In particular, community ownership and
involvement were promoted as means of overcoming
possible constraints imposed by restrictive tenancy
agreements and landlord monopoly control of land
and development opportunities.”
8. Change in ownership led to:
New governance structures to facilitate change
Release of energy and enthusiasm in remote areas
for new enterprises, alternative energy sources and
increased social capital (Callaghan, Danson and
Whittam, Scottish Affairs, 2011)
But new constraints
Resources especially financial: land has no value because of CRtB,
so no collateral for loans
Volunteer burn-out small remote communities
Disagreements and conflicts, problems exaggerated in small
remote communities
9. "To focus Government and public services on creating a more
successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to
flourish, through increasing sustainable economic growth.
Wealthier and Fairer : "Enable businesses and people to increase
their wealth and more people to share fairly in that wealth."
Healthier : "Help people to sustain and improve their health,
especially in disadvantaged communities, ensuring better, local
and faster access to health care."
Safer and Stronger : "Help local communities to flourish, becoming
stronger, safer place to live, offering improved opportunities and a
better quality of life."
Smarter : "Expand opportunities for Scots to succeed from nurture
through to life long learning ensuring higher and more widely
shared achievements."
Greener : "Improve Scotland's natural and built environment and the
sustainable use and enjoyment of it."
11. Renewables ~ sustainable economic growth for Scotland ... plan
seeks to drive low carbon energy production, in a way which capitalises
on Scotland's unique resources, and delivers maximum benefit to her
people and her economy (Scottish Government’s ‘Renewables Action
Plan’)
Forestry ~ Scotland is a relatively lightly wooded country. It was
not always so and the current situation is the result of centuries of
deforestation, largely as a result of man’s activities... [woodland cover] is
about half of the average of other EU countries and less than one quarter
of the woodland area that once covered much of Scotland’s land surface.
(Scottish Government‟s „Rationale for Woodland Expansion‟)
Governance ~ land reform (from 2003), five strategic
objectives
12. 23rd September the First Minister, Alex Salmond,
announced new target of 80% of electricity from
renewables by 2020 was being set by the Scottish
Government.
"Scotland is ideally placed to help lead the renewables
revolution and taking account of the levels of planned
investment over the next decade.”
Research commissioned by the trade agency, Scottish
Renewables, into the country's renewable energy
potential, which includes power drawn from wind,
tidal, wave and hydro turbines, and energy from waste
and biomass confirmed that the 2007 target of sourcing
50% of electricity power needs from green sources
within 10 years could easily be reached. It said it
should achieve 31% by next year
13. to provide unambiguous backing for the renewable energy sector,
driving progress and identifying and overcoming obstacles to energy
generation, business success, jobs growth, and carbon reductions;
to coordinate and facilitate the highest degree of partnership working
across the public sector, with increasing alignment behind the
Government's renewables objectives, and our binding Climate
Change obligations;
to provide the most coherent interface possible with the private sector,
building on the strong existing connections between agencies and
organisations, including public/private partnership working in key
areas such as technology development;
to reinforce the role of the Energy Advisory Board, and its Renewable
Energy sub-group the Forum for Renewable Energy Development in
Scotland ( FREDS), as the "centre of gravity" for renewables in
Scotland;
to lead by example in exploiting renewables potential on the public estate.
14. Vision :
To maximise the benefits for communities from
renewable energy, not only in terms of access
to locally produced low carbon energy, but in
terms of social cohesion and economic development.
15. Headline Ambitions:
added value for communities: including, increased skills
base for local trades, a stronger partnership within
communities delivering wider social and economic
benefits from renewable projects, and greater awareness
within communities of renewables and climate change;
a reduction in reliance on imported energy by making
communities more self sufficient on meeting their own
energy needs, particularly in off-gas grid areas;
an increase in renewable energy capacity in Scotland,
contributing towards renewable targets in Scotland;
a reduction in energy bills.
16. The Impact of Community Energy Projects – An Initial Review Summary Report –
September 2010 Produced for Community Energy Scotland by Aigas Associates
18. Awareness and support for the group and our work has increased. 53.9%
The group now has more enthusiasm and a renewed sense of purpose 48.1%
The group is financially more self sustaining 40.4%
More people from the wider community have become involved in our work 34.6%
The group has gained new membership 23.1%
There has been no change 15.4%
19. Assynt Crofters Trust (1993)
Knoydart Foundation (1999)
Isle of Gigha Trust (2002)
North Harris Trust (2003)
Assynt Foundation (2004)
20. Renewable energy
Entrepeneurialism (mainly tourist related)
Forestry
Generational thinking and planning
Social capital
21. “Owning the land, having the
security of knowing it‟ll still be
there in 20, 30, 40, 50, 100 years
time allows you to make these
longer term commitments.”
22. Great achievements
Economic difficulties
Social difficulties
Uncertain funding
23. Extend CRtB across Scotland?
Lessons from remote rural to peri-urban and
lowland Scotland
Renewables, forestry, governance
Asset disposal programmes from local
government, Scottish Government, MoD
Lessons from Nordic Europe (and beyond)
Wider roles, externalities and spillovers
24. To view all the papers in the Whose
Economy series click here
To view all the videos and presentations
from the seminars click here