Grass roots revolution How Scots are breathing new life into derelict land
Sites that were once eyesores are being tranformed across the country by visionary Scots community groups
THE first signs of warmer days to come are already emerging from well-tended flower beds that take up a corner of Glasgow’s east end.
Soon, the green shoots will be replaced by pretty daffodils and tulips. As the seasons change, the 50 raised vegetable beds will give up their crops of root vegetables. Tpolytunnel cucumbers, aubergines and melons will ripen, and the fruit in the orchard – apples, pears and plums – along with berries, rhubarb and herbs will be gathered ready for the table.
The Shettleston garden will burst back into life: the frogs and newts will take up residence in the pond and the amateur gardeners will tend their little corners, have a chat and a laugh, pick up new skills, and share what they’ve learned with the next generation.
Yet not so long ago their busy garden was vacant and derelict land, unwanted and seemingly without any use.
“It was an eyesore,” says Kenny McCubbin, project co-ordinator at Shettleston Community Growing Project. “This land was just lying derelict for years and no-one knew what to do with it.
“When you look at the garden now, the orchard and the wildlife area with frogs, newts, hedgehogs, foxes … all this wildlife and nature is not what you expect to see in the middle of a Glasgow housing estate.”
Since it opened 11 years ago, the garden has “grown” arms and legs. Out of a derelict and contaminated patch of ground has sprouted a children’s gardening club which teaches little ones how to cook the fruit and vegetables harvested from the land as well as grow it. Produce is shared with local foodbanks and the site has become a lifeline for people who would never otherwise have picked up a spade and packet of seeds.
It is, according to the Scottish Land Commission, just one example of what can be achieved from vacant and derelict land.
‘Ugly’ patches
THROUGHOUT next month, the commission will run a major campaign aimed at encouraging Scotland’s local authorities to take a fresh look at similar sites in their areas to see if they, too, can transform ugly and unwanted patches to benefit their communities.
A key element of Land Reuse Month will be encouraging the public sector bodies to prevent further sites and buildings in their area from falling into long-term disrepair.
When it comes to existing waste land, there is no shortage of opportunities: Scotland has almost 11,000 hectares of vacant and derelict urban land – an area roughly twice the size of the city of Dundee, equating to a staggering 15,000 football pitches.
Nearly one-third of Scots live within 500 metres of a derelict site. However, in deprived communities, the figure rises to 55 per cent. Some sites have been linked to causing significant harm to communities, from the negative impacts they have on mental and physical health, to attracting unwanted gatherings for anti-social behaviour and safety concerns.
In many cases, such as at the Shettleston site, industries and factories have moved on, leaving behind contaminated soil and barren landscapes.
“We don’t underestimate the scale of the task in bringing back into use the countless derelict sites which are a remnant of our industrial past, but they have the potential to be a huge national asset,” says Andrew Thin, chair of the Scottish Land Commission.
“By bringing together prominent stakeholders including local authorities, decision-makers, policy influencers, land and planning experts, and other enthusiastic parties during Land Reuse Month, we can drive real change to the way we approach land, using it as an asset that can contribute to community wellbeing and net-zero carbon objectives.”
The commission suggests many empty sites where little more than tumbleweed passes through could even solve some of Scotland’s biggest challenges. Reborn as
All this wildlife and nature is not what you expect to see in the middle of a Glasgow housing estate
productive spaces, they could help tackle climate change, improve health and wellbeing, create more resilient communities, and play a role in helping to rebuild the economy.
In an effort to inspire new thinking, the commission and Sepa (Scottish Environment Protection Agency) launched a national Vacant and Derelict Land Taskforce in 2018, drawing together 30 businesses, public bodies and third sector organisations working together to bring empty land back into use.
It went on to call for a range of actions, including an updated Vacant and Derelict Land Register to help identify problem sites and extra funding to help local authorities tackle waste land.