Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey 2017

12 Annex: Considerations when interpreting the data

A.1 Data Quality. Local authorities may not update all historic site information every survey, consequently some site information may not be current. For example, a site may be sold and change ownership type. A change like this could happen without a local authority’s knowledge. When up-to date information is reported by local authorities it is included in the historical datasets to allow improved time series analysis.

A.2 Local Authority response rate. The overall data quality for a particular year will depend on how many Local Authorities have updated their survey for that year. If a Local Authority does not update their data then data for the previous year is rolled forward. This will provide a reasonable estimate but will not take account of any changes in the latest year. Data quality will also be affected by the number of years since the last update. Highland and West Lothian did not update their survey in either 2017 or 2016 so data for these local authorities is carried over from their latest update in 2015. Annex Table E records local authority annual participation in the survey each year since 1996.

A.3 Removal and Addition of Sites. The means by which new sites are detected are largely centred on the expert knowledge of local authority planning officers. It is important to note that Table 17, which shows new sites added since the previous survey, shows only entirely new sites that are identified as falling out of use since the previous survey. Sites that have increased in size since the previous survey or those newly identified in 2017 but highlighted as being out of use prior to 2016 are not shown in Table 17. However, where the local authority does not know when a newly identified site first became vacant or derelict then it will appear in the table. Similarly, when part of a site is brought back into use, that part is detailed as a site brought back into use, and the part not brought back into use remains in the survey (vacant and derelict sites).

A.4 Changes in Site Details. Changes in site details can also cause other difficulties in interpreting the data. The most notable are when two separate sites become joined by the inclusion of a further piece of vacant or derelict land, and alternatively when a single site has a central area brought back into use, such that the remaining disused area does not form a single contiguous site. The first of these scenarios is the most awkward from a statistical viewpoint, as data regarding previous use etc. for both sites are unlikely to be compatible. Where this happens, details from the largest contributing site are used to describe the new, compound site.

A.5 Changes in Historic Data, 2011-2016. As each local authority returned their 2017 surveys, work was also undertaken to improve the quality of the data supplied in the previous 2011 to 2016 returns. This was done to allow for improved time series analysis. The key aspects of this work included the removal (back to 2011) of any sites identified by the local authority as being ‘removed for definitional reasons’ (and hence not suitable to have been included in the survey in the first place) as well as correcting historically any other revisions reported in 2017. Changes were made where the site size has changed, or where the site should have been included earlier than it was. At a Scotland level, size differences between the revised data and the previous version for 2011 to 2016 were at most 0.5% (61 hectares) for any particular year. A number of site sizes were changed during this years’ survey as a result of more accurate mapping of the sites by local authorities through increased use of GIS tools. Historical site-type changes are not included unless there is a specific requirement and explicit agreement is obtained for these changes to be made. The outcome of this work produced a revised national SVDLS data set for the years from 2011-2016. The results of these datasets are given throughout the tables and time series analysis of this bulletin. The SVDLS itself has been running continuously since 1993. Historical data on the amount of derelict and urban vacant land in Scotland, for the years 1996 to 2010, is shown in Annex Table A. 1996 to 2004 data has remained completely unaltered since the 2004 survey publication. 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 & 2010 data were last revised in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 publications respectively. Thus care should be taken when comparing 1996-2010 data in Annex Table A to 2011-2017 data shown in this bulletin.

Annex Table A: Total Derelict and Urban Vacant Land by local authority area, 1996-2010 ^[1,2,3]

Local Authority	Total Derelict and Urban Vacant Land Area (ha)
	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
Aberdeen City	190	184	184	139	129	152	152	105	139	139	78	63	53	57	59
Aberdeenshire	190	191	152	152	145	143	122	118	118	49	78	91	90	66	66
Angus	387	373	379	254	213	215	216	156	155	172	161	166	165	164	172
Argyll & Bute	64	55	46	46	45	45	46	46	46	28	81	60	40	34	30
Clackmannanshire	71	57	64	63	57	55	76	78	71	34	34	30	38	32	28
Dumfries & Galloway	365	371	372	364	361	364	360	358	358	225	474	465	456	466	461
Dundee City	282	279	288	254	254	259	247	224	237	212	234	219	206	211	225
East Ayrshire	564	564	568	477	441	426	355	330	319	332	323	319	319	322	336
East Dunbartonshire	109	113	109	100	86	86	135	123	121	120	115	85	77	70	72
East Lothian	261	250	236	106	139	134	127	122	86	85	71	62	85	86	86
East Renfrewshire	50	54	42	37	33	32	40	46	56	60	57	56	54	53	54
Edinburgh, City of	154	145	143	122	162	167	167	123	117	199	194	204	222	225	217
Falkirk	395	372	226	196	196	248	279	255	247	212	208	147	140	173	156
Fife	767	754	948	975	767	665	667	750	804	892	882	857	836	831	831
Glasgow City	1,617	1,580	1,581	1,558	1,476	1,392	1,383	1,345	1,315	1,313	1,286	1,270	1,332	1,355	1,329
Highland	813	813	813	813	813	813	1,181	1,154	1,147	1,110	1,071	1,369	1,369	1,392	1,454
Inverclyde	131	122	124	123	126	132	127	142	142	138	125	106	126	122	121
Midlothian	458	424	392	394	382	294	295	289	318	321	305	288	282	280	274
Moray	41	41	41	41	41	41	41	39	36	36	34	29	29	26	27
Na h-Eileanan Siar	16	13	13	11	11	11	11	11	12	11	11	11	11	11	10
North Ayrshire	366	387	378	409	391	418	428	555	542	547	1,190	1,279	1,300	1,316	1,316
North Lanarkshire	2,757	2,366	1,957	2,021	2,021	1,938	1,603	1,509	1,321	1,341	1,362	1,349	1,346	1,463	1,429
Orkney Islands	25	25	23	38	26	22	22	18	18	42	42	42	40	40	41
Perth & Kinross	94	98	132	149	139	106	111	109	114	96	88	78	40	51	49
Renfrewshire	347	259	421	413	400	428	989	1,007	1,025	976	959	950	940	962	965
Scottish Borders	76	90	87	79	79	69	69	65	65	59	55	108	89	100	88
Shetland Islands	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	2	2	2	9	9	9	9	9
South Ayrshire	111	133	152	152	164	156	152	144	144	135	135	123	114	87	96
South Lanarkshire	747	684	662	689	702	686	651	635	604	571	538	523	524	510	504
Stirling	173	173	161	219	210	200	203	210	203	188	182	166	164	176	177
West Dunbartonshire	214	230	243	230	225	216	224	222	220	229	241	223	219	221	212
West Lothian	1,100	1,100	1,100	809	809	496	573	556	560	654	657	632	617	618	477
Scotland	12,933	12,296	12,037	11,432	11,044	10,411	11,053	10,847	10,661	10,528	11,282	11,379	11,333	11,530	11,372

1. Figures may not sum due to rounding.
2. See Annex Table E for details of council participation in different years.
3. Care should be taken when comparing this data to that published for the years 2011-2017 in the main part of this bulletin. The data above has not been amended to take account of land removed for definitional reasons or other previous errors reported in the 2016 survey return.

A.6 Land area eligible. Although local authorities are asked to note all derelict land for the survey (see Annex section A.11 regarding Highland Council), the recording of vacant land is restricted to all land located within any settlement as defined by the local authority in the latest council approved local plan. Consequently, the actual land area surveyed for vacant land is often considerably smaller than the total land area of each local authority, especially in the case of the more rural areas.

A.7 Settlements of population 2,000 and over. Local authorities were asked to survey for vacant land within all settlements defined in their latest council approved local plans. However, due to resource constraints on some local authorities (particularly those covering large rural areas), some were unable to do a full survey of every settlement for vacant land. All did however survey every settlement within their boundaries that had a population of 2,000 or more apart from Highland and West Lothian whose data is carried over from 2015. Therefore, to ensure consistency in data presentation, the statistics presented on vacant land throughout this bulletin refer only to land located within settlements that have a population of at least 2,000 (according to the local plan). Some local authorities did carry out either a full or partial survey for vacant land in settlements of under 2,000 in population. All vacant sites located within settlements of fewer than 2,000 in population are shown separately from the rest of the bulletin in Annex Table B below.

Annex Table B: Vacant Land within Settlements of under 2,000 in population, 2017 ^[1,2]

Local Authority	Area (ha)	No. of Sites
Aberdeenshire	176	7
Angus	27	2
Clackmannanshire	*	1
East Ayrshire	18	9
East Dunbartonshire	2	1
Edinburgh, City of	16	6
Falkirk	8	5
Fife	5	6
Highland 3	18	7
Loch Lomond and the Trossachs	1	1
Moray	1	1
North Ayrshire	20	20
North Lanarkshire	10	3
Perth & Kinross	*	2
Scottish Borders	6	4
South Ayrshire	1	4
South Lanarkshire	7	9
West Lothian 3	16	2
All	331	90

1. Figures may not sum due to rounding.
2. Authorities included in this table are the only ones with any surveyed vacant land in small settlements.
3. Data for Highland and West Lothian is carried over from 2015.

All the local authorities shown in the above table have conducted either a full or partial survey for vacant land within settlements of under 2,000 in population. Any local authorities not shown in the above table either do not have any vacant land in settlements under 2,000 in population, or do not contain any settlements of under 2,000 in population according to local plans.

It is estimated that approximately 16,668 hectares (excludes Loch Lomond) of land within settlements of under 2,000 in population were surveyed for vacant land in Scotland during 2017. From this area, local authorities reported a total of 331 hectares of vacant land across 90 sites. Aberdeenshire had the highest amount of reported land within settlements of under 2,000 in population, with 176 hectares across 7 sites – this includes a site at the former Edzell air base (170 hectares).

Of the 93 sites (328 hectares) of vacant land in settlements of under 2,000 in population reported in 2016, 10 sites (6.5 hectares) were either fully or partially brought back into productive use.

Annex Table C: Derelict Land as a percentage of total area by local authority area, 2017 ^[1,2]

Local Authority	Total Derelict Land (ha)	Total Area (ha) 2	% of Local Authority Derelict
Aberdeen City	13	18,571	0.1
Aberdeenshire	45	631,261	0.0
Angus	94	218,179	0.0
Argyll & Bute 3	37	690,867	0.0
Clackmannanshire	48	15,898	0.3
Dumfries & Galloway	301	642,679	0.0
Dundee City	14	5,983	0.2
East Ayrshire	2,324	126,212	1.8
East Dunbartonshire	69	17,449	0.4
East Lothian	73	67,918	0.1
East Renfrewshire	34	17,424	0.2
Edinburgh, City of	91	26,333	0.3
Falkirk	210	29,736	0.7
Fife	551	132,503	0.4
Glasgow City	621	17,468	3.6
Highland 5	1,276	2,565,651	0.0
Inverclyde	81	16,045	0.5
Loch Lomond & the Trossachs 3,4	25	186,340	0.0
Midlothian	105	35,369	0.3
Moray	7	223,756	0.0
Na h-Eileanan Siar	1	305,982	0.0
North Ayrshire	1,144	88,534	1.3
North Lanarkshire	1,138	46,992	2.4
Orkney Islands	39	98,880	0.0
Perth & Kinross 3	16	528,558	0.0
Renfrewshire	173	26,149	0.7
Scottish Borders	46	473,174	0.0
Shetland Islands	6	146,668	0.0
South Ayrshire	81	122,198	0.1
South Lanarkshire	306	177,192	0.2
Stirling 3	117	218,697	0.1
West Dunbartonshire 3	149	15,876	0.9
West Lothian 5	341	42,774	0.8
Scotland 4	9,574	7,790,972	0.1

1. Figures may not sum due to rounding.
2. Land areas were derived from Standard Area Measurements produced by the Office for National Statistics in January 2011. Figures may not add exactly because of rounding. Source: https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/population/population-estimates/mid-year-population-estimates/mid-2015-and-corrected-mid-2012-to-mid-2014/list-of-tables
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. Prior to 2011, these sites were classified within the relevant local authority boundary.
4. Although the land area for LLTNP is separately identified it is also included within the land area for the relevant local authorities that overlap the park. Therefore the total land area for Scotland does not include this separately identified land area for LLTNP.
5. Data for Highland and West Lothian is carried over from 2015.

A.8 Estimate of the proportion of local authority population living within a defined distance of a Derelict Site. Tables 8 and 9 in the publication show estimates by local authority of the percentage of their population living within various distances of derelict land. For Table 8 (using 2017 SVDLS data) a buffer zone based on the area of each derelict site was drawn around the grid co-ordinate points supplied for that site. This gives an estimated boundary for each site. Data should be treated with care as it is not the ‘actual’ site boundaries that are being used. Table 9 followed the same procedure with regard to ‘estimating’ site boundaries. The second part of Table 9 estimates the proportion of local authority population living in close proximity to land that has been derelict prior to 1991 or 2001. In this instance, only derelict sites which were either identified by local authorities as being derelict prior to 1991 or 2001 or, (where length of time derelict is unknown) where the first site inspection occurred prior to 1991 or 2001 are included.

To measure the proportion of each local authority population that lives within a certain distance of derelict land, a national data set was constructed that estimated the population of each property identified as likely to be residential in the National Records of Scotland ( NRS) Address Register for 2017. Average household size figures were calculated by dividing NRS census (2011) population by census household counts at the Census Output Area ( COA) level. All records in the 2017 Address Register that were identified as likely to be residential were assigned an estimated household size figure based on the average household size of the COA they fall within (their unit-postcodes being used to link with a COA from NRS’s geographic index dataset by way of Royal Mail’s 2011 Postcode Index File).

To ensure consistency with previously published population estimates, the latest available small-area estimates of population by NRS (in this case data zones for 2016) were used as a control factor on the calculated household size figures. For each property in the Address Register based dataset, the distance to the nearest estimated derelict site boundary was calculated, to highlight those properties within the defined distance of derelict land. Those properties’ estimated populations were then aggregated up by data zone to give a proportion of each data zone’s population (and hence each local authority’s population) estimated to live within the defined distance of derelict land.

Overall it is estimated that 29.8% of the population of Scotland live within 500 metres of a derelict site in 2017. The data published in Tables 8 and 9 on proximity will also be available at data zone level on the Scottish Government Statistics website at http://statistics.gov.scot/. The website will be updated with these results at the next data update, following the publication of this bulletin.

A.9 Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation ( SIMD 2016) and Derelict/Urban Vacant land. Table 10 shows the amount of derelict and urban vacant land located within Scotland’s 15% most deprived data zones. Those data zones are identified by way of the 2016 Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation Project (the results of which were published in August 2016). The SIMD 2016 project identifies small area concentrations of multiple deprivation across all of Scotland. It contains 38 indicators in seven domains: Current Income, Employment, Health, Education, Skills and Training, Geographic Access to Services, Housing and Crime. Sites in the SVDLS are identified as being located within Scotland’s most deprived areas if their grid co-ordinate point (i.e. the centre of the site) falls within a 15% most deprived data zone. Care should be taken with this data as there could be instances of some sites (especially the larger ones) crossing data zone boundaries, hence part of the site may be in a 15% most deprived data zone, whilst the other part could be outwith. Further information on the SIMD 2016 project can be found on the Scottish Government’s web page at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/SIMD/Overview

A.10 Definitions/Interpretations. The SVDLS guidelines clearly state the definitions for the recording of derelict and urban vacant land. Where difficulties are encountered, the guidelines have been modified to assist in the provision of uniform returns, but ultimately the survey relies on the consistent application of definitions between local authorities and through subsequent years. The data revision work for 2011-2016 (described in Annex Section A.4) was carried out to improve uniformity between local authority returns for those years. Some of the changes reported in Annex Table D (sites removed for ‘definitional’ reasons) come about following a reappraisal of the survey guidelines (prior to the 2017 survey). Since the last survey, there were a total of 54 sites (293 hectares) naturalised or removed for definitional reasons. In addition, the introduction of GIS systems has also allowed planning officers to improve data quality, leading to some of the changes in site sizes recorded.

SVDLS guidance documents can be found at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Planning/DataSupplierArea

Annex Table D: Sites naturalised or removed for definitional reasons, by local authority area, 2017 ^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
Dumfries & Galloway	177	4	3	6	180	10
Dundee City	0	0	0	1	0	1
East Ayrshire	52	10	0	0	52	10
Falkirk	0	0	3	2	3	2
Loch Lomond and the Trossachs	1	1	0	0	1	1
Midlothian	31	9	6	5	38	14
North Ayrshire	1	1	8	1	9	2
North Lanarkshire	0	0	3	2	3	2
Perth & Kinross	3	4	0	1	4	5
Scottish Borders	1	1	0	0	1	1
South Ayrshire	0	1	0	0	0	1
South Lanarkshire	0	0	1	3	1	3
Stirling	0	0	0	2	0	2
All	268	31	25	23	293	54

1. Figures may not sum due to rounding.
2. In publications prior to 2016 this table has included sites that were split or amalgamated. From 2016 only sites that have become naturalised or removed for definitional reasons are shown.

A.11 Land surveyed by Highland Council. Due to the large area of land covered by Highland council, a partial survey was carried out in each year between 2002 and 2005 (inclusive). Only derelict and urban vacant sites within settlements containing a population of 2,000 or over and derelict sites within the Inner Moray Firth area were surveyed. In 2006, the (then) Scottish Executive let a contract to consultants to survey derelict sites in outlying parts of Highland council area. This was the first time since 1993 that derelict sites were surveyed in the outlying areas of Highland council. Overall it meant that a complete survey was carried out in Highland during 2006 (in terms of what was presented in the main part of the 2006 bulletin on derelict and urban vacant land). Highland council surveyed all settlements of over 2,000 in population for derelict and urban vacant land and the Inner Moray Firth area for derelict land, the consultants surveyed the remaining outer rural areas for derelict land. In 2007 the previous practice was resumed with Highland council surveying for land within settlements containing a population of 2,000 or over and derelict sites within the Inner Moray Firth area. The 2006 results of the consultants’ work in most of the outer rural parts of Highland council were brought forward as the best possible estimate up to 2012. In 2013 Highland council submitted a survey based on visits made in preparation for the Inner Moray Firth Local Development Plan along with visits and knowledge from both Planning and Development and Housing and Property Services staff. Highland Council last updated their survey in 2015.

A.12 Database of Sites. A database of existing sites detailing their name, site code, type (vacant or derelict), size (in hectares) and location (by grid reference, local authority and whether or not the site is within a settlement or the countryside) is available on the Scottish Government’s Planning Statistics web page at http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Planning/SVDLSSiteRegister. Copies can also be sent out by contacting Communities Analytical Services Division, telephone: 0131 244 0439 or email: planstats@gov.scot

A.13 Land surveyed by Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority. In 2010 it was agreed that Loch Lomond would take responsibility for surveying vacant and derelict land within the park’s boundaries – this task had previously fallen to the local authorities that overlap the park. The authority was unable to complete a full survey of the park area for 2010, so the figures were included as part of the relevant local authorities as before. However, summary figures were published in Annex E of the 2010 SVDLS bulletin. Since 2011 LLTNP’s figures have been presented in their own right in the main body of the bulletin.

Local authority participation

A.14 Participation of Local Authorities. It is important to note throughout the interpretation of the figures reported in this bulletin that not all local authorities participate in the survey every year. There are two main impacts arising from this:

1. Comparisons between years must be made with care and only for individual local authorities where suitable data exist.
2. Where a local authority has not provided data every year, the recorded change will be since the last survey, and will thus reflect several years’ worth of change.

Non-participating councils are identified for each year since 1996 in Annex Table E.

Annex Table E: Local Authorities NOT participating in the survey, 1996-2017

Local Authority	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017
Aberdeen City			x				x
Aberdeenshire									x				x
Angus
Argyll & Bute 4				x				x	x
Clackmannanshire
Dumfries & Galloway	x																		x		x
Dundee City		x			x
East Ayrshire	x	x	1										x
East Dunbartonshire
East Lothian																					x
East Renfrewshire
Edinburgh, City of							x
Eilean Siar
Falkirk					x
Fife
Glasgow City
Highland	x	x	x	x	x	x	2	2	2	2		2	2	2	2	2	x				x	x
Inverclyde
Loch Lomond & the Trossachs 4	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	3
Midlothian	x
Moray		x	x	x		x		x					x
North Ayrshire							x
North Lanarkshire
Orkney Islands
Perth & Kinross 4
Renfrewshire
Scottish Borders					x			x	x	x
Shetland Islands								x
South Ayrshire				x					x		x
South Lanarkshire
Stirling 4		x
West Dunbartonshire 4
West Lothian	x	x	x		x																x	x

1. Only the SVDLS-A data file was provided.
2. See Annex Section A.11.
3. In the 2010 SVDLS bulletin (Annex E) summary figures were published for LLTNP.
4. 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.