Lessons from Assynt 2

The Assynt Foundation’s 3 applications to register an interest in the Vestey Estate have been successful.

Congratulations!

The original application from the Assynt Foudnation was withdrawn by the applicants (see my post of 5 November). Interestingly, unlike all other applications up until this point, the written response from the landowner was not published on the Register of Community Interests in Land. Although there is no statutory obligation to publish this information, it’s availability is useful in enabling communties to see how landowners respond to applications and to see the valid points that can be made opposing the application. Intrigued, I emailed the Executive citing the Freedom of Information Act (which although it only comes into force on 1 January is being adopted in practice by the Executive prior to enactment). Within an hour I got a response. “No problem”, they said, and a copy was mailed to me. Once I have digested it (it is a long and bulky response – perhaps that’s why it wasn’t published) I will post it on my new website which is designed to help communities with the Land Reform Act [edit April 2002 – landreformact.com website is no longer available]