Scottish vacant and derelict land survey 2016

Data collection publication undertaken to establish the extent and state of vacant and derelict land in Scotland.


9 Derelict and Urban Vacant Land: Previous Uses and Other Characteristics

9.1 This section focuses on what the previous uses were for derelict and urban vacant land before it fell out of use. Information is also provided on how long derelict and urban vacant land has lain out of use and how developable that land is.

9.2 In previous surveys local authorities were asked to indicate up to three preferred future uses for sites as defined in the most recent local plan or other approved local authority planning policy documents. After consultation with relevant stakeholders it was agreed that these data would no longer be collected. Therefore from the 2013 bulletin onwards there is no analysis of future use provided.

9.3 The previous uses of derelict and urban vacant sites are shown in Table 12. Former agricultural land should only be included if it is characterised by specific unsightliness or neglect. However, local authorities have explained that in some instances former agricultural land is released for development and is then classed as vacant where either the land is prepared for development or development starts on the land.

9.4 The previous use was unknown for 636 hectares of land (3% of the total amount of derelict and 14% of the total amount of urban vacant land recorded in 2016). For those sites where the previous use is known, 36% of derelict land recorded in 2016 had previously been used for mineral activity (3,606 hectares), 19% for defence (1,906 hectares) and a further 19% for manufacturing (1,859 hectares). The most common previous use for urban vacant land, where previous use is known, was agriculture (18%, or 328 hectares) and the second most common previous use was residential development, accounting for 17% of recorded urban vacant land (318 hectares).

Table 12: Previous uses of Derelict and Urban Vacant Land, 2016 1

Previous Use Derelict Land Urban Vacant Land Total Derelict and Urban Vacant Land
Area (ha) % of Derelict Land (by Area) No. of Sites Area (ha) % of Urban Vacant Land (by Area) No. of Sites Area (ha) % of Total V&D Land (by Area) No. of Sites
Agriculture 201 2 114 328 18 131 529 4 245
Business Class 6 * 10 8 * 12 14 * 22
Community & Health 634 6 129 99 5 82 733 6 211
Defence 1,906 19 37 33 2 22 1,939 16 59
Education 112 1 92 205 11 141 317 3 233
Forestry/Woodland 14 * 9 21 1 7 34 * 16
Green/Environmental - - - - - - - - -
Manufacturing 1,859 19 302 260 14 121 2,119 18 423
Mineral Activity 3,606 36 269 23 1 11 3,629 31 280
Nature Conservation 8 * 1 - - - 8 * 1
Offices 9 * 14 11 1 21 20 * 35
Other General Industry 2 458 5 132 137 7 120 595 5 252
Passive Open Space 37 * 16 62 3 51 100 1 67
Prepared Ground 13 * 6 36 2 18 49 * 24
Recreation & Leisure 3 120 1 75 54 3 64 173 1 139
Residential 169 2 213 318 17 406 487 4 619
Retailing 15 * 45 33 2 51 48 * 96
Storage 188 2 79 51 3 51 239 2 130
Transport 258 3 137 72 4 74 330 3 211
Utility Services 161 2 33 7 * 14 167 1 47
Wholesale Distribution 11 * 9 20 1 9 31 * 18
Other 169 2 84 68 4 68 237 2 152
% of categorised sites   100     100     100  
Unknown 4 325 - 172 310 - 310 636 - 482
Total 10,279 1,978 2,156 1,784 12,435 3,762

1. Figures may not sum due to rounding
2. Excluding manufacturing
3. Excluding passive open space
4. Unknown values are excluded from the calculation of percentages

9.5 Where the length of time a site has lain unused was known, 34% (1,703 hectares) of urban vacant or derelict land within settlements and 31% (2,131 hectares) of derelict land within the countryside had been unused since before 1991 ( Tables 13 and 14). Taken as a whole, 32% (3,834 hectares) of all urban vacant and derelict land across Scotland has been lying unused for at least 25 years. There is a large degree of variation at council level for how long vacant and derelict land has been unused.

Table 13: Sites in Settlements: Date when Urban Vacant or Derelict Land was first identified, by local authority area, 2016 1,2,3

Local Authority Pre-1991 1991-1995 1996-2000 2001-2005 2006-2010 2011-2016 Unknown 4 Total
Area (ha) % Area (ha) % Area (ha) % Area (ha) % Area (ha) % Area (ha) % Area (ha) Area (ha)
Aberdeen City 4 21 - - 2 10 3 16 2 11 9 44 14 36
Aberdeenshire 1 2 2 5 1 4 4 12 14 43 11 34 33 65
Angus 9 14 7 11 4 7 26 39 13 20 6 10 3 68
Argyll & Bute 5 7 45 * 2 - - - - 4 25 4 29 13 29
Clackmannanshire 15 42 - - - - 6 15 1 3 15 41 - 37
Dumfries & Galloway 6 7 60 - - 2 13 3 24 * 2 - - 23 36
Dundee City 42 21 9 5 35 17 30 15 39 19 47 23 2 204
East Ayrshire 51 44 24 20 2 2 18 16 13 11 8 7 19 135
East Dunbartonshire 21 49 7 18 1 1 4 9 - - 10 24 - 43
East Lothian 6 1 5 - - 2 8 1 3 6 24 16 61 6 31
East Renfrewshire 10 18 15 29 1 2 16 30 2 4 9 16 - 53
Edinburgh, City of 11 10 * * 22 19 9 7 51 44 23 20 53 170
Falkirk 40 24 10 6 4 2 52 31 18 11 45 26 24 193
Fife 80 26 14 5 78 25 88 29 25 8 24 8 9 318
Glasgow City 437 41 126 12 144 13 109 10 180 17 79 7 - 1,075
Highland 6 173 78 13 6 14 6 15 7 4 2 3 2 17 240
Inverclyde 22 14 4 2 21 13 12 7 25 16 76 48 * 160
Loch Lomond & the Trossachs 5 10 39 1 2 - - 16 59 * * - - 2 28
Midlothian 12 78 - - - - 3 21 - - * 1 5 21
Moray - - - - - - 8 52 - - 7 48 - 15
Na h-Eileanan Siar 1 31 2 61 * 4 * 4 - - - - 6 9
North Ayrshire 191 36 52 10 92 17 87 16 92 17 14 3 5 533
North Lanarkshire 201 22 339 37 46 5 30 3 217 24 75 8 6 913
Orkney Islands 3 100 - - - - - - - - - - - 3
Perth & Kinross 5 4 13 * 1 2 6 8 29 14 48 1 2 3 32
Renfrewshire 55 26 9 4 27 12 27 13 82 38 14 7 - 214
Scottish Borders 4 30 4 26 - - - - 2 18 4 27 46 59
Shetland Islands - - - - - - 1 100 - - - - 1 2
South Ayrshire 55 65 3 3 9 10 3 4 13 15 2 2 22 106
South Lanarkshire 82 39 11 5 6 3 17 8 46 22 49 23 41 252
Stirling 5 1 4 - - 7 23 1 4 13 45 7 25 11 40
West Dunbartonshire 5 78 46 28 16 8 5 28 17 14 8 14 8 1 171
West Lothian 6 74 71 - - * * 15 14 14 13 2 2 70 175
Scotland 1,703 34 681 14 530 11 639 13 904 18 576 11 435 5,467

1. Figures may not sum due to rounding.
2. Figures are for total vacant land in settlements of 2,000 and over and derelict land in all settlements. Settlements as defined by local authorities in their latest council approved local plans (see Annex Section A.5).
3. See Annex Table E for details of council participation in different years.
4. Unknown values are excluded from the calculation of percentage values.
5. From 2011 LLTNP took responsibility for surveying vacant and derelict land within the park boundaries. These sites are no longer recorded in Argyll & Bute, Perth & Kinross, Stirling and West Dunbartonshire local authority boundaries, and are separately identifiable as LLTNP from 2011. Prior to 2011, these sites were classified within the relevant local authority boundary.
6. 2016 data for Dumfries & Galloway, East Lothian, Highland and West Lothian is carried over from 2015.

Table 14: Sites in the Countryside: Date when Derelict Land was first identified, by local authority area, 2016 1,2,3

Local Authority Pre-1991 1991-1995 1996-2000 2001-2005 2006-2010 2011-2016 Unknown 4 Total
Area (ha) % Area (ha) % Area (ha) % Area (ha) % Area (ha) % Area (ha) % Area (ha) Area (ha)
Aberdeen City - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Aberdeenshire 13 100 - - - - - - - - - - * 13
Angus 45 62 1 1 2 2 - - 18 24 8 11 1 74
Argyll & Bute 5 - - - - - - - - - - - - 29 29
Clackmannanshire - - - - - - - - - - 32 100 - 32
Dumfries & Galloway 6 359 91 37 9 - - - - * * - - * 397
Dundee City - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
East Ayrshire 153 7 1 * - - - - - - 2,124 93 44 2,322
East Dunbartonshire 9 34 6 24 - - 2 10 - - 8 32 9 34
East Lothian 6 12 25 2 4 14 30 - - 19 41 - - 2 49
East Renfrewshire - - 2 100 - - - - - - - - - 2
Edinburgh, City of - - - - - - - - - - - - 2 2
Falkirk 25 61 - - 3 7 7 16 6 15 * 1 13 54
Fife 129 41 - - 73 23 73 23 40 13 1 * 17 332
Glasgow City 23 65 12 32 1 3 - - - - - - - 36
Highland 6 725 67 18 2 64 6 256 24 23 2 - - 16 1,102
Inverclyde - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Loch Lomond & the Trossachs 5 - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Midlothian 127 82 2 1 26 17 - - - - - - 12 167
Moray - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Na h-Eileanan Siar - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
North Ayrshire 42 5 32 4 19 2 635 80 67 8 1 * 1 798
North Lanarkshire 102 33 1 * 26 8 16 5 6 2 155 51 3 309
Orkney Islands 35 100 - - - - - - - - - - - 35
Perth & Kinross 5 2 40 - - - - 2 31 2 29 - - 1 6
Renfrewshire - - - - 628 97 - - - - 18 3 - 646
Scottish Borders 7 100 - - - - - - - - - - 9 16
Shetland Islands 1 100 - - - - - - - - - - 4 5
South Ayrshire - - - - - - - - - - 1 100 1 2
South Lanarkshire 85 63 9 6 * * 35 26 5 4 - - 25 159
Stirling 5 109 98 * * 2 1 - - * * - - 1 112
West Dunbartonshire 5 - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
West Lothian 6 129 56 32 14 - - 69 30 - - - - 7 238
Scotland 2,131 31 155 2 858 13 1,094 16 186 3 2,347 35 197 6,968

1. Figures may not sum due to rounding.
2. Figures are for derelict land in the countryside.
3. See Annex Table E for details of council participation in different years
4. Unknown values are excluded from the calculation of percentage values.
5. From 2011 LLTNP took responsibility for surveying vacant and derelict land within the park boundaries. These sites are no longer recorded in Argyll & Bute, Perth & Kinross, Stirling and West Dunbartonshire local authority boundaries, and are separately identifiable as LLTNP from 2011. Prior to 2011, these sites were classified within the relevant local authority boundary.
6. 2016 data for Dumfries & Galloway, East Lothian, Highland and West Lothian is carried over from 2015.

Table 15: Development Potential of Derelict and Urban Vacant Land, 2016 1

Development Potential Derelict Land Urban Vacant Land Total Derelict and Urban Vacant Land
Area (ha) % of Derelict Land (by Area) No. of Sites Area (ha) % of Urban Vacant Land (by Area) No. of Sites Area (ha) % of Total Land (by Area) No. of Sites
Developable - Short Term 2 2,282 24 482 907 45 684 3,189 28 1,166
Developable - Medium Term 3 2,431 26 506 759 38 636 3,190 28 1,142
Developable - Undetermined 1,799 19 545 296 15 294 2,095 18 839
Uneconomic to Develop/Reclamation for 'Soft' End Use 2,861 31 234 57 3 65 2,918 26 299
Percentage of categorised sites   100 100 100  
Unknown 4 905 - 211 138 - 105 1,043 - 316
Total 10,279 1,978 2,156 1,784 12,435 3,762

1. Figures may not sum due to rounding.
2. Expectation of development within five years.
3. Expectation of development between five to ten years.
4. Unknown values are excluded from the calculation of percentage values.

9.6 Table 15 shows the development potential of derelict and urban vacant land as reported by Local Authorities, based on their expectation of when land is likely to be developed. 24% of all derelict land within Scotland (with known development potential) is estimated to be developed in the short term, compared to 45% of all urban vacant land with known development potential. The higher proportion of urban vacant land estimated to be developed in the short term, compared to derelict land, is not surprising given derelict land (by definition) requires some form of rehabilitation before new development can commence. Overall, 28% of all derelict and urban vacant land within Scotland (with known development potential) has been estimated to be developed in the short term. Across Scotland, 31% of derelict land and 3% of urban vacant land is seen by local authorities as being uneconomic to develop and/or is viewed as suitable to reclaim for a 'soft' end use ( i.e. non-built use).

Table 16: Ownership of Derelict and Urban Vacant Land, 2016 1

Ownership Derelict Land Urban Vacant Land Total Derelict and Urban Vacant Land
Area (ha) % of Derelict Land (by Area) No. of Sites Area (ha) % of Urban Vacant Land (by Area) No. of Sites Area (ha) % of Total Land (by Area) No. of Sites
Single Owner: Public 1,522 16 446 873 46 762 2,395 21 1,208
Single Owner: Private 7,432 79 1,067 873 46 704 8,305 74 1,771
Multiple Owners: Public 61 1 26 22 1 20 83 1 46
Multiple Owners: Private 65 1 27 36 2 19 101 1 46
Mixed Owners 305 3 76 108 6 57 413 4 133
Percentage of categorised sites   100 100 100  
Single Owner: Unknown 2 893 - 336 244 - 222 1,138 - 558
Total 10,279 1,978 2,156 1,784 12,435 3,762

1. Figures may not sum due to rounding.
2. Unknown values are excluded from the calculation of percentage values.

9.7 In 2016, a majority of all derelict and urban vacant land with known ownership had a single private owner (74% or 8,305 hectares). 21% or 2,395 hectares of derelict and urban vacant land with known ownership had a single public owner. The remaining 6% of derelict and urban vacant land with known ownership is split 4% (413 hectares) mixed public and private ownership 1% (101 hectares) multiple private owners and 1% (83 hectares) multiple public owners. Out of all the 12,435 hectares of derelict and urban vacant land recorded in 2016, 9% (1,138 hectares) has ownership unknown to the local authority.

Contact

Email: Planning Statistics

Phone: 0300 244 4000 – Central Enquiry Unit

The Scottish Government
St Andrew's House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG

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