Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey 2019

3. Points to note for 2019 survey

3.1 Highland has not updated their survey since 2015 so data from the 2015 survey is carried over in this report. Annex Table 5 records local authority annual participation in the survey each year since 2000.

3.2 Dumfries and Galloway did not complete a survey in 2019 therefore no new sites were added or uptake reported. However, they provided updated location and area details for sites included in the 2018 survey so some change is reported from the previous year.

3.3 During the collection of the 2019 survey data some previous survey returns for the years 2013 to 2018 have been revised to remove sites that have been taken out of the survey for definitional reasons (for example, when new information comes to light such as a presumption about ground contaminants from a previous use has been shown to be incorrect and so the site no longer meets the criteria for vacant or derelict land). In addition, some previous survey returns have also been revised to incorporate updates to underlying data and to add sites identified as having first become derelict or vacant in previous years. This revisions process is carried out so that any time series analysis presented within this bulletin is as accurate as possible. Further information is available in section A.4 of the Annex, along with unrevised historical data for 2000 to 2012.

3.4 The increased use of digital mapping and satellite imagery has resulted in revisions to areas of derelict or urban vacant land recorded in previous years as a result of more accurate boundary mapping. Where this has resulted in a decrease in area this will not be reflected in the area of land listed as re-used or naturalised. Where this has resulted in an increase in area this reflects more accurate recording and not the adding of additional land. These potential changes in area as a result of improved boundary recording should be considered when making any comparisons with areas of derelict and urban vacant land in previous years.