Community ownership should become the routine option for communities across Scotland, says a new Land Commission report.

A report prepared for the Scottish Government is recommending that community ownership should become the “mainstream way to deliver development and regeneration in urban and rural communities”.

The report recommends embedding community land ownership into local planning. Along with community ownership being an option for communities across all of Scotland with potential for long-term financial support for both capital costs and post-acquisition development.

Speaking about the report Scottish Land Commissioner Lorne Macleod commented that it should be seen as “normal and routine, as it is internationally, for a community to acquire and own land that could provide local housing, business development, community facilities, recreation facilities, greenspace, as a fundamental way to create more vibrant communities and regional economies”.

Land Reform Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said: “It has been great to see such an increase in community ownership in recent years, thanks to the success of some amazing local groups working with the Scottish Government. This is unlocking potential in our urban, rural and island communities and giving local people a say in their future, and I hope to see many more communities getting involved in the years ahead.”

Executive director of Scottish Land and Estates Sarah Jane Laing, said: “Community ownership of land and property can deliver positive outcomes for rural areas and forms an important part of the mix of ownership that is necessary to help communities thrive.”