Let’s get crofts on the register

The Crofting Register is a map-based register, held by the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland. In time, it will include over three quarters of a million hectares of land in crofting tenure in the Highlands and Islands, giving certainty to crofters and others as to the extent of crofts, common grazings and land held runrig.

The Crofting Register commenced on 30 November 2012. During the initial year of operation, the register was available for voluntary registration of individual crofts, or for group registrations submitted by all the crofters in a particular township. The Keeper is keen to encourage crofters to continue to submit applications for voluntary registration. Community applications in particular provide an opportunity for crofters in a township to work together to agree the boundaries of their crofts before submitting an application.

From 30 November this year, registration in the Crofting Register is also required on the occurrence of any of a number of “trigger” events. These “trigger” events relate mainly to events that require a regulatory application to the Crofting Commission – for example, the assignation or division of a croft.

Registers of Scotland is keen to encourage community applications and has been running workshops, in collaboration with the Crofting Commission, across the crofting areas. We will continue to provide support to those communities considering registration.

For further information on the Crofting Register, please visit www.crofts.ros.gov.uk/register/home

                               

2012 Act update

The consultation on the implementation of the Land Registration etc (Scotland) Act 2012 closed on 9 December 2013. Following the closing date, all responses are now being analysed and considered along with any other available evidence, to help us finalise the policies and rules to be adopted under the 2012 Act.

We aim to issue a report on this consultation within 25 working days of the consultation closing date. Any key messages will also be highlighted in the report to help us evaluate the proposed policies.

The consultation for the Registers of Scotland Fee Review is currently being undertaken and we are inviting written responses by 24 January 2014. The consultation document is available at: www.ros.gov.uk/consultations

                                      

Service level update

Since April, 84% of all applications have been processed within 30 working days.

Despite higher than expected intakes, Land Register stocks have fallen by 55% in the past 12 months.