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1 Background to the Survey
1.1 This bulletin presents a summary of results from the 2008 Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey ( SVDLS). It is the seventeenth survey in a series including the first pilot study in 1988, the first completed survey in 1990, and enhanced surveys conducted annually since 1993. The survey is the only national data source for vacant and derelict land.
1.2 The survey is a co-operative effort between local authorities and the Scottish Government. Annex Table E shows annual participation rates by local authorities since 1996.
1.3 Not all local authorities were able to submit data this year (Aberdeenshire, East Ayrshire and Moray are missing). However to allow for comparisons over time the previous years data have been used as an estimate for these local authority areas. When data is received for the 2009 survey from these authorities, the data will be revised to reflect the most up to date data as described in point 1.4 below.
1.4 During the collection of the 2008 survey, previous survey returns for the years 2002 to 2007 were revised to remove sites that had been taken out of the survey for definitional reasons. Other previous errors highlighted in the 2008 survey returns were also corrected. This process allows for improved time series analysis within this bulletin. Further information is available in Annex A.4, along with unrevised historical data for 1996 to 2001.
1.5 Some tables and related charts have been removed from this year's bulletin. These are the tables that relate to the proximity of people to derelict land, and to the area of derelict and urban vacant land within authorities that is in the most deprived datazones. There are concerns about the quality of data within these tables, and the late receipt of data from some authorities meant that the time available to investigate these issues was inadequate. It is hoped that further investigations of this data will enable it to be published at a later date.
2 Summary
2.1 The following main points emerge from the 2008 survey:
- There were 10,832 hectares of derelict and urban vacant land recorded in the 2008 survey, of which 2,630 hectares (24%) were urban vacant and 8,203 hectares were derelict (76%).
- Since 2002, there has been a increase of 145 hectares in the total amount of derelict and urban vacant land recorded in the survey, from 10,696 hectares in 2002 to 10,832 hectares in 2008. This is attributable to the land that has been brought back into productive use or removed due to naturalisation being balanced by a small number of large sites falling out of use.
- Since 2002, an average of 608 hectares of derelict and urban vacant land was brought back into use each year. The 2008 survey recorded 564 hectares of derelict and urban vacant land being reused since 2007.
- The local authority with the highest amount of recorded derelict and urban vacant land is North Lanarkshire, containing 1,397 hectares (13% of Scotland total). Glasgow City has the second highest amount with 1,325 hectares (12% of Scotland total). North Ayrshire is third with 1,276 hectares (12%).
Chart 1: Derelict and Urban Vacant land by local authority, 2008
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