CIfA has welcomed the publication of the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill, which was published on Friday 29 September.
After lobbying Scottish Government, we are delighted that provision has been included in the draft Bill that will enable Scottish Ministers to fund the protection and enhancement of historic or cultural sites of interest.
We are hopeful that this hints that Government intends the policy to take a step forward, bringing Scotland in line with other parts of the UK and Europe where the interrelation of agriculture and historic landscape, historical and archaeological features has been well established in agri-environment schemes.
Farming has shaped Scotland’s landscapes for 9000 years. Modern farmers are the stewards of landscapes which exhibit a rich cultural heritage. In Scotland, over 80 percent of scheduled monuments are located on agricultural land, but only a tiny fraction of these are currently subject to positive management agreements with farmers due to a lack of provision in the current Agri-Environment Climate Scheme.
CIfA’s Policy and Advocacy Manager, Rob Lennox, said:
‘This Bill, and the regulations which are due to follow, are a massive opportunity to change the way that we approach providing support to farmers to better reward them for positive management of the historic environment.’
‘Although there is much detail to develop, we are delighted that the Government has recognised the role farmers play in managing rural historic and archaeological features and landscapes on the face of the Bill. This is hopefully opening the door for agri-environment schemes that can make sure that that these assets are better understood and better cared for in the future.’
