Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey 2015

10 Derelict and Urban Vacant Land: New and Reclaimed Sites

10.1 Table 17 shows the area and number of new distinct sites in 2015 that have been identified as vacant or derelict since the last survey was conducted. This does not include the 2,217 hectares of derelict land identified in East Ayrshire, as this has been added to both 2014 and 2015. There were 98 hectares (55 sites) of newly identified derelict land since the previous survey. Of these 30 hectares (4 sites) were in Argyll & Bute. There were 78 hectares (66 sites) of newly identified urban vacant land since the previous survey. Of these, 30 hectares (6 sites) were in Inverclyde, 10 hectares (8 sites) in Renfrewshire and 8 hectares (9 sites) were in Dundee City. Note that these figures relate only to completely new sites identified. Sites listed in the previous survey which changed in size or changed from derelict to vacant or vice versa are not included in Table 17. This increase accounts for approximately 176 additional hectares of land.

Table 17: New Sites identified since the previous survey by local authority area, 2015 ^1,2

Local Authority	Derelict Land		Urban Vacant Land		Total Derelict and Urban Vacant Land
	Area (ha)	No. of Sites	Area (ha)	No. of Sites	Area (ha)	No. of Sites
Aberdeen City	-	-	1	2	1	2
Aberdeenshire	-	-	3	1	3	1
Angus	1	1	1	1	2	2
Argyll & Bute 3	30	4	1	3	31	7
Clackmannanshire	1	1	1	4	2	5
Dumfries & Galloway	-	-	-	-	-	-
Dundee City	2	4	8	9	10	13
East Ayrshire	-	-	1	3	1	3
East Dunbartonshire	9	1	-	-	9	1
East Lothian	16	2	-	-	16	2
East Renfrewshire	-	-	*	1	*	1
Edinburgh, City of	-	-	4	5	4	5
Falkirk	8	2	6	3	13	5
Fife	-	-	-	-	-	-
Glasgow City	10	12	2	4	12	16
Highland	1	1	3	1	3	2
Inverclyde	4	2	30	6	34	8
Loch Lomond & the Trossachs 3	-	-	-	-	-	-
Midlothian	-	-	-	-	-	-
Moray	-	-	-	-	-	-
Na h-Eileanan Siar	-	-	-	-	-	-
North Ayrshire	-	-	2	4	2	4
North Lanarkshire	7	11	*	1	7	12
Orkney Islands	-	-	-	-	-	-
Perth & Kinross 3	-	-	-	-	-	-
Renfrewshire	-	-	10	8	10	8
Scottish Borders	-	-	-	-	-	-
Shetland Islands	-	-	-	-	-	-
South Ayrshire	8	11	1	2	9	13
South Lanarkshire	1	1	3	6	5	7
Stirling 3	-	-	-	-	-	-
West Dunbartonshire 3	1	2	2	2	3	4
West Lothian	-	-	-	-	-	-
Scotland	98	55	78	66	176	121

1. Figures may not sum due to rounding.
2. Sites identified since the previous survey but recorded as falling out of use prior to 2014 are not included in the above table. However, where the local authority does not know when a site first became vacant or derelict then it will appear in the above.
3. 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 onwards. Prior to 2011, these sites were classified within the relevant local authority boundary.

10.2 Tables 18 to 24 relate only to sites (or parts thereof) which were brought back into actual use. Sites removed for definitional reasons or due to naturalisation are not included. 16 sites and 55 hectares of formerly derelict and urban vacant land in 2015 were removed due to naturalisation in the 2015 survey. Details of land removed for definitional reasons can be found in Table D in the Annex.

Table 18: Derelict Land reclaimed and Urban Vacant Land brought back into use since the previous survey, by local authority area, 2015 ¹

Local Authority	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
Aberdeen City	3	1	4	7	5	6	10	3	10
Aberdeenshire	*	*	2	3	2	4	3	1	6
Angus	-	-	-	5	3	5	5	1	5
Argyll & Bute 2	*	*	1	*	*	2	1	*	3
Clackmannanshire	5	3	3	1	1	2	6	2	5
Dumfries & Galloway	*	*	1	2	1	1	2	1	2
Dundee City	*	*	1	6	4	13	6	2	14
East Ayrshire	*	*	2	1	*	1	1	*	3
East Dunbartonshire	*	*	1	-	-	-	*	*	1
East Lothian	*	*	1	1	*	1	1	*	2
East Renfrewshire	1	*	1	5	3	3	6	2	4
Edinburgh, City of	14	7	4	14	9	9	28	8	13
Falkirk	4	2	2	-	-	-	4	1	2
Fife	3	1	5	1	1	2	4	1	7
Glasgow City	15	7	20	25	17	37	40	11	57
Highland	10	5	6	11	7	14	21	6	20
Inverclyde	1	*	2	16	11	22	17	5	24
Loch Lomond and the Trossachs 2	-	-	-	3	2	2	3	1	2
Midlothian	18	9	12	-	-	-	18	5	12
Moray	-	-	-	6	4	2	6	2	2
Na h-Eileanan Siar	-	-	-	1	*	1	1	*	1
North Ayrshire	*	*	1	6	4	7	7	2	8
North Lanarkshire	36	18	28	7	4	10	43	12	38
Orkney Islands		-			-			-
Perth & Kinross 2	1	*	2	*	*	1	1	*	3
Renfrewshire	14	7	4	12	8	18	26	7	22
Scottish Borders	*	*	1	1	*	2	1	*	3
Shetland Islands	-	-	-	1	*	1	1	*	1
South Ayrshire	2	1	4	1	1	1	3	1	5
South Lanarkshire	*	*	1	15	10	20	15	4	21
Stirling 2	*	*	1	1	*	3	1	*	4
West Dunbartonshire 2	3	1	4	1	*	2	3	1	6
West Lothian	71	35	5	*	*	1	71	20	6
Scotland	205	100	119	150	100	193	356	100	312

1. Figures may not sum due to rounding.
2. 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.

10.3 Table 18 shows that a total of 356 hectares (312 sites) were reclaimed or brought back into use since the previous survey, this figure includes vacant sites that were previously derelict and excludes those sites removed for definitional reasons or due to naturalisation. 205 hectares of land reclaimed back into use was previously derelict, of which 18% was in North Lanarkshire (36 hectares). Of the 150 hectares of urban vacant land brought back into use 17% was in Glasgow City (25 hectares). The largest individual derelict or urban vacant site brought back into use in 2015 was the former Drumshoreland bing (32 hectares) in West Lothian, now in use for mineral activity.

10.4 The new use of sites, or part of sites, that were reclaimed or brought back into use (excluding sites removed for definitional reasons) are shown in Table 19. The most common new use for derelict land was for residential development, with 43% (88 hectares) of the land reclaimed for this purpose. The second most common new use was for mineral activity, accounting for 31% (63 hectares). For urban vacant land the most common new use was also residential development, with 45% (67 hectares) of the land reclaimed for this purpose, followed by passive open space with 9% (14 hectares) reclaimed.

Table 19: Reclaimed Derelict Land and Urban Vacant Land brought back into use since the previous survey, by new use, 2015 ¹

New 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 Land (by Area)	No. of Sites
Agriculture	15	7	4	-	-	-	15	4	4
Business Class	1	*	2	7	4	13	7	2	15
Community & Health	1	1	3	2	1	3	3	1	6
Defence	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Education	*	*	1	2	1	5	2	1	6
Green/Environmental	-	-	-	1	1	2	1	*	2
Manufacturing	-	-	-	9	6	3	9	3	3
Mineral Activity	63	31	2	-	-	-	63	18	2
Offices	-	-	-	1	*	3	1	*	3
Other General Industry 2	3	2	6	9	6	10	13	4	16
Passive Open Space	1	*	2	14	9	23	15	4	25
Recreation & Leisure 3	8	4	9	9	6	13	16	5	22
Residential	88	43	65	67	45	75	155	44	140
Retailing	4	2	7	5	4	11	9	2	18
Storage	2	1	4	9	6	13	12	3	17
Transport	18	9	12	9	6	13	28	8	25
Utility Services	*	*	1	2	1	1	3	1	2
Wholesale Distribution	-	-	-	2	1	1	2	1	1
Woodland (Community-Based)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Woodland (Non-Community-Based)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Vacant Pending New Use	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Other	-	-	-	2	1	4	2	*	4
Unknown 4	*	-	1	-	-	-	*	-	1
Total	205	100	119	150	100	193	356	100	312

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.

10.5 Table 20 shows the sources of funding used for bringing derelict and urban vacant land back into use since the previous survey. The most common source of funding was the private sector (53%). Public sector funding accounted for 13% of reclaimed land, and the source of funding was unknown for 23% of reclaimed land. Midlothian had the greatest area brought back into use by public funding (17 hectares), whereas North Lanarkshire reclaiming the most land with private funding (38 hectares).

10.6 For land receiving public/mixed funding the largest area of new use was for residential development (52%), followed by transport (27%). For privately funded land the largest area of new use was also for residential development (61%), followed by recreation & leisure (5%).

Table 20: Sources of funding used for Derelict Land reclaimed and Urban Vacant Land brought back into use since the previous survey, by local authority area, 2015 ¹

Local Authority	Public sector funding (ha)	Private sector funding (ha)	Mixed funding 2 (ha)	Unknown (ha)	None / not applicable (ha)	Total (ha)
Aberdeen City	2	8	-	-	-	10
Aberdeenshire	1	2	-	-	-	3
Angus	1	4	-	-	-	5
Argyll & Bute 3	-	-	-	1	*	1
Clackmannanshire	*	5	1	-	-	6
Dumfries & Galloway	-	*	-	-	2	2
Dundee City	4	-	-	-	2	6
East Ayrshire	-	-	-	1	-	1
East Dunbartonshire	-	*	-	-	-	*
East Lothian	-	1	-	-	-	1
East Renfrewshire	2	4	-	-	-	6
Edinburgh, City of	1	27	-	-	-	28
Falkirk	-	4	-	-	-	4
Fife	*	4	-	-	-	4
Glasgow City	1	19	20	-	-	40
Highland	-	21	-	*	-	21
Inverclyde	1	4	-	-	13	17
Loch Lomond and the Trossachs 3	2	-	-	*	-	3
Midlothian	17	*	-	1	-	18
Moray	-	-	-	6	-	6
Na h-Eileanan Siar	1	-	-	-	-	1
North Ayrshire	*	6	-	-	-	7
North Lanarkshire	2	38	1	-	2	43
Orkney Islands
Perth & Kinross 3	1	*	-	-	-	1
Renfrewshire	1	25	-	-	-	26
Scottish Borders	-	1	*	-	-	1
Shetland Islands	-	-	-	1	-	1
South Ayrshire	-	3	-	-	*	3
South Lanarkshire	2	13	-	-	*	15
Stirling 3	1	-	-	-	-	1
West Dunbartonshire 3	3	*	-	-	-	3
West Lothian	-	-	-	71	-	71
Scotland	45	190	21	81	19	356

1. Figures may not sum due to rounding.
2. Mixed public and private sector funding or partnership.

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.

10.7 Table 21 and Chart 7 show the total amount of derelict land reclaimed and urban vacant land reused in each of the past 7 survey years. The amount of derelict land reclaimed has varied over the period 2009 to 2015, with the lowest amount reclaimed in 2012 (134 hectares). On average, 200 hectares of derelict land was reclaimed between 2009 and 2015. In 2015 there were 205 hectares of derelict land reclaimed on 119 sites. On average, 147 hectares of urban vacant land was reused between 2009 and 2015. The lowest amount of urban vacant land reused was in 2014 (122 hectares). In 2015 there were 150 hectares of urban vacant land reclaimed on 193 sites.

Table 21: Total Derelict and Urban Vacant Land reclaimed, 2009-2015 ^1,2,3

	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
Derelict Land (ha)	175	256	186	134	239	207	205
Total Sites	139	118	113	92	133	123	119
Urban Vacant Land (ha)	156	133	151	153	164	122	150
Total Sites	192	158	150	141	188	140	193
Total Area Reclaimed (Derelict & Urban Vacant)	331	389	338	288	404	329	356
Total Sites	331	276	263	233	321	263	312

1. Figures may not sum due to rounding.
2. See Annex Table E for details of council participation in different years.
3. During 2015, historical data on the reuse of land from the years 2009-2014 were revised to correct any revisions to the data highlighted in the 2015 survey returns. Further information on this process is available in Annex A.4.

Chart 7: Total Derelict and Urban Vacant Land Reclaimed, 2009-2015

10.8 Table 22 shows the amount of formerly derelict and urban vacant land that has been reclaimed or reused with the involvement of the Scottish Government's Vacant and Derelict Land Fund ( VDLF). The 3 councils in receipt of this fund since the 2005/06 financial year were Dundee City, Glasgow City and North Lanarkshire. South Lanarkshire joined the scheme in 2006/07 and then Highland joined in 2008/09. In 2015/16 Fife replaced Dundee. To date, a total of 332 hectares of formerly derelict and urban vacant land has been removed from the survey with the VDLF making either a partial or full contribution. Glasgow City have reused 132 hectares and Dundee City have reused 87 hectares (across 71 and 60 sites respectively) of formerly derelict and urban vacant land using the fund. Any involvement the VDLF has had with existing sites in the 2015 SVDLS ( i.e. those not yet removed from the survey) is not recorded in Table 21, but will appear when the sites are bought back into use in the future.

Table 22: Sites where the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund ( VDLF) was a funding source used to reclaim Derelict Land and bring Urban Vacant Land back into use, 2005-2015 ^1,2,3,4

Local Authorities receiving Vacant and Derelict Land Funds	Derelict Land		Urban Vacant Land		Total Derelict and Urban Vacant Land
	Area (ha)	No. of Sites	Area (ha)	No. of Sites	Area (ha)	No. of Sites
Dundee City	33	8	54	52	87	60
Glasgow City	59	47	73	24	132	71
Highland	7	15	19	17	26	32
North Lanarkshire	60	25	3	6	63	31
South Lanarkshire	20	6	4	11	24	17
TOTAL	180	101	153	110	332	211

1. Figures may not sum due to rounding.
2. The Scottish Government Vacant and Derelict Land Fund contributed either partially or fully to the reclamation or reuse of the 211 sites shown in the above table. This includes money used to prepare the land for development, e.g. decontamination.
3. Any involvement the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund has had with existing sites in the 2015 Vacant and Derelict Land Survey (those not yet removed from the survey) is not recorded in the above table.
4. Figures for North and South Lanarkshire have been amended compared to last year.

10.9 Table 23 shows an estimate of the number of properties (both private households and communal establishments ^[1] ) that are situated within 500 metres of a site reclaimed using the VDLF (either solely or in combination with other funds). Across the 5 councils in the Fund for 2005-2015, 145,272 properties were within 500 metres of land reclaimed with the involvement of the VDLF. Of those properties, 54% (78,962) were within 500 metres of 1 site reclaimed with the involvement of the VDLF. 24% (34,995) were within 500 metres of 2 reclaimed sites, and the remaining 22% (31,315) were within 500 metres of at least 3 reclaimed sites. To date, the largest number of properties in close proximity to land reclaimed using the fund are located within Glasgow City (55,327 properties). Dundee City has 36,253 properties within 500 metres of land reclaimed using the fund, North Lanarkshire has 19,230, South Lanarkshire has 18,286 and Highland has 16,176.

Table 23: Estimate of the number of properties within 500m of at least 1 site reclaimed using the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund ( VDLF), 2005-2015 ^1,2,3

Local Authority	Properties within 500m of land reclaimed using VDLF
	1 Site Only	2 Sites Only	3 Sites +	Total
Dundee City 4	10,092	12,472	13,689	36,253
Glasgow City 5	28,426	15,114	11,787	55,327
Highland	14,106	2,020	50	16,176
North Lanarkshire	13,663	2,728	2,839	19,230
South Lanarkshire 6	12,675	2,661	2,950	18,286
Total	78,962	34,995	31,315	145,272

1. Properties based on National Records of Scotland Address Register data 2015 . See Annex Note A.10 for further information.
2. Any involvement the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund has had with existing sites in the 2015 Vacant and Derelict Land Survey (those not yet removed from the survey) is not recorded in the table above.
3. Properties that are estimated to have been built on the reclaimed site have been removed from this analysis.
4. A further estimated 9 properties within Angus and 46 properties within Perth & Kinross are located within 500m of a reclaimed derelict site within Dundee City boundaries.
5. An estimated 868 properties within South Lanarkshire are located within 500m of a reclaimed derelict site within Glasgow City boundaries.
6. An estimated 2,026 properties within Glasgow City are located within 500m of a reclaimed derelict site within South Lanarkshire boundaries.

10.10 Table 24 shows an estimate of the number of properties (both private households and communal establishments) that are situated within 500 metres of a site reclaimed using the VDLF (either solely or in combination with other funds), split by deprivation level. Overall, 50% of the 145,272 properties within 500 metres of land reclaimed using the VDLF were situated within Scotland's 15% most deprived datazones (73,137 properties). The remaining 50% (72,135 properties) were located outwith the 15% most deprived datazones. At council level, in Glasgow City 38,342 or 69% of the properties in close proximity to reclaimed land were in the 15% most deprived datazones, compared to 42% (15,310 properties) for Dundee, 41% (7,505 properties) for South Lanarkshire, 38% (7,389 properties) for North Lanarkshire, and 28% (4,591 properties) for Highland.

Table 24: Estimate of the number of properties within 500m of at least 1 site reclaimed using the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund ( VDLF), split by deprivation, 2005-2015 ^1,2,3

Local Authority	Properties within 500m of land reclaimed using VDLF -
	Within 15% Most Deprived Datazones	Outwith 15% most Deprived Datazones	Total	Percent of Properties near remediated land within 15% most deprived datazones
Dundee City 4	15,310	20,943	36,253	42
Glasgow City 5	38,342	16,985	55,327	69
Highland	4,591	11,585	16,176	28
North Lanarkshire	7,389	11,841	19,230	38
South Lanarkshire 6	7,505	10,781	18,286	41
Total	73,137	72,135	145,272	50

1. Properties based on National Records of Scotland Address Register data 2015. See Annex Note A.10 for further information.
2. Any involvement the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund has had with existing sites in the 2015 Vacant and Derelict Land Survey (those not yet removed from the survey) is not recorded in the table above.
3. Properties that are estimated to have been built on the reclaimed site have been removed from this analysis.
4. A further estimated 9 properties within Angus and 46 properties within Perth & Kinross are located within 500m of a reclaimed derelict site within Dundee City boundaries.
5. An estimated 868 properties within South Lanarkshire are located within 500m of a reclaimed derelict site within Glasgow City boundaries.
6. An estimated 2,026 properties within Glasgow City are located within 500m of a reclaimed derelict site within South Lanarkshire boundaries.