Thank you. It is a stunning garden, designed to look impressive from that viewpoint on the terrace. The colours are particularly lovely in spring (as here), when trees and shrubs are freshly in leaf, and in autumn.
Yes, this is something that could be within the power of the Scottish Parliament (if Westminster didn’t veto it, as they have done recently with other policies, such as the bottle return scheme).
I was very interested to read about the connection with Lincolnshire with both Drummon and Ancaster being names of roads I grew up with but didn't know the connection.
It's crazy all the money being spent on flood defences. As you say if we went back to how nature was supposed to be, and our soils were much healthier, the water holding capacity would be much better I'm sure!
It's a shame local people can't own the land and have local interests at heart.
This is a really interesting piece, Felicity. Thought-provoking. The disconnect occurs at all levels, but when reengaging community seems essential to social and environmental health, how can that be achieved in this scenario? That Danish citizens can own swathes of land in the UK, but would need to prove their competency to do the same in Denmark seems bonkers?!
Yes, land (and property) laws are pretty lax in the UK. The Scottish Land Commission is trying to improve the situation (I’ll say more about it another time), but that depends on Scottish ministers taking and implementing its advice.
This is such an important essay Felicity, thank you so much for posting. We as you know have the same challenges. In our case in Kintyre, absent land owners who own land ( not castles or anything grand sounding like that) gain massive profits from allowing wind farm companies to position turbines on their land, destroying peat bogs (oh don’t worry we will restore them!), and overriding the concerns of local communities about the disruptive mental health toll of very noisy turbines. Our communities are not against windfarms, but their voices are disregarded in consultations. We have a danish family with a local estate, purchased from the previous danish family. They have a factor who has said to me that they do not want to engage with local communities. Of course not, they may be held to account for the snares that have annihilated all foxes, and be seen for persecution of raptors. Keeping communities off the land is a great way of doing what you like!
Oh, your challenges sound so familiar. I'm planning to get on to wind turbines and peat bogs next time!
I am always very suspicious of estates that deter access – what are they trying to hide? Probably illegal wildlife crime. There's one I've not mentioned a few miles away where the gamekeeper berated anyone who took a short cut across the heathery moorland rather than staying on the tracks. I guess they may have been at risk of finding traps or poison baits. Fortunately it's changed hands now, as it was one of those notorious golden eagle 'black holes'.
I did indeed find it interesting, Felicity. The land tax being payable in Denmark but not in the UK seems wrong, but I admit that I don't know how this tax usually works (for example if a UK citizen owned significant land abroad). I will look forward to the next installment.
As I understand it a UK citizen would only have to pay land tax abroad, because we don't have that type of tax in this country (income tax is a different matter).
Many progressives have long argued that we should introduce land value taxation because it would reduce inflationary pressures on land values (which have been soaring) and lead to better use of the land (with owners less inclined to 'hoard' it without making best use of its potential.
Sorry just one more comment to say, your photos are stunning. The last photo of the garden- what a beautiful garden
Thank you. It is a stunning garden, designed to look impressive from that viewpoint on the terrace. The colours are particularly lovely in spring (as here), when trees and shrubs are freshly in leaf, and in autumn.
Oh and the not paying land tax here, madness!
Yes, this is something that could be within the power of the Scottish Parliament (if Westminster didn’t veto it, as they have done recently with other policies, such as the bottle return scheme).
Wow this is just utterly so sad!!
I was very interested to read about the connection with Lincolnshire with both Drummon and Ancaster being names of roads I grew up with but didn't know the connection.
It's crazy all the money being spent on flood defences. As you say if we went back to how nature was supposed to be, and our soils were much healthier, the water holding capacity would be much better I'm sure!
It's a shame local people can't own the land and have local interests at heart.
Unfortunately inherited privilege and money control the decision making.
This is a really interesting piece, Felicity. Thought-provoking. The disconnect occurs at all levels, but when reengaging community seems essential to social and environmental health, how can that be achieved in this scenario? That Danish citizens can own swathes of land in the UK, but would need to prove their competency to do the same in Denmark seems bonkers?!
Yes, land (and property) laws are pretty lax in the UK. The Scottish Land Commission is trying to improve the situation (I’ll say more about it another time), but that depends on Scottish ministers taking and implementing its advice.
This is such an important essay Felicity, thank you so much for posting. We as you know have the same challenges. In our case in Kintyre, absent land owners who own land ( not castles or anything grand sounding like that) gain massive profits from allowing wind farm companies to position turbines on their land, destroying peat bogs (oh don’t worry we will restore them!), and overriding the concerns of local communities about the disruptive mental health toll of very noisy turbines. Our communities are not against windfarms, but their voices are disregarded in consultations. We have a danish family with a local estate, purchased from the previous danish family. They have a factor who has said to me that they do not want to engage with local communities. Of course not, they may be held to account for the snares that have annihilated all foxes, and be seen for persecution of raptors. Keeping communities off the land is a great way of doing what you like!
Oh, your challenges sound so familiar. I'm planning to get on to wind turbines and peat bogs next time!
I am always very suspicious of estates that deter access – what are they trying to hide? Probably illegal wildlife crime. There's one I've not mentioned a few miles away where the gamekeeper berated anyone who took a short cut across the heathery moorland rather than staying on the tracks. I guess they may have been at risk of finding traps or poison baits. Fortunately it's changed hands now, as it was one of those notorious golden eagle 'black holes'.
I did indeed find it interesting, Felicity. The land tax being payable in Denmark but not in the UK seems wrong, but I admit that I don't know how this tax usually works (for example if a UK citizen owned significant land abroad). I will look forward to the next installment.
As I understand it a UK citizen would only have to pay land tax abroad, because we don't have that type of tax in this country (income tax is a different matter).
Many progressives have long argued that we should introduce land value taxation because it would reduce inflationary pressures on land values (which have been soaring) and lead to better use of the land (with owners less inclined to 'hoard' it without making best use of its potential.