Quality checks are undertaken by the Scottish Government working alongside data provders. These data are based on a statistical survey and any known data gaps, revision or issues are made explicit.
Area of Derelict and Urban Vacant Land (hectares)
These statistics are published in a series of different formats including HTML, Pdf, Word and Excel in order to provide a range of ways to access the data.
These data do not contain any personal data and the data are not disclosive. Anybody who is seeking access to more detailed record level data must complete a data access form which is then assessed by the Scottish Government to decide whether access should be granted.
The survey is voluntary and not all local authorities participate in the survey every year. Where a local authority has not provided data for a year, the data from the most recent completed survey has been used. Therefore comparisons between years must be made with care and only for individual local authorities where suitable data exist. Non-participating councils are identified for each year in an Annex Table in the [most recent publication](http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Planning/Publications). From 2011 Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park took responsibility for surveying vacant and derelict land within the park boundaries. These sites are no longer recorded in Argyll and Bute, Perth and Kinross, Stirling and West Dunbartonshire local authority boundaries, and are separately identifiable as Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park from 2011. Prior to 2011, these sites were classified within the relevant local authority boundary. Therefore from 2011 to obtain a Scotland total, figures for Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park should be included along with those for other local authorities. These statistics are not collected in all UK countries and therefore UK comparisions cannot be made directly.
A comprehensive quality assurance procedure is undertaken by the Scottish Government prior to the publication of these statistics. Checks and data cleaning are undertaken on the raw data, the analysis of the data and the write up of the data. Scottish Government work with data providers during this process.
The annual data uploaded to this site form a timeseries which goes back to 2002. The annual publication date for each statistical publication is publically pre-announced several months in advance.
The main purpose of the statistics is to provide a national data source to inform the programming of rehabilitation, planning and reuse of urban vacant and derelict sites. As part of this the data are used by the Scottish Government to allocate a central fund for the remediation and re-use of vacant and derelict land.
Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey. Source: [http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Planning/Publications](http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Planning/Publications) Derelict land (and buildings) is land which has been so damaged by development, that it is incapable of development for beneficial use without rehabilitation. In addition the land must currently not be used for the purpose for which it is held or a use acceptable in the local plan. Land also qualifies as derelict if it has an un-remedied previous use which could constrain future development. Vacant land is land which is unused for the purposes for which it is held and is viewed as an appropriate site for development. This land must either have had prior development on it or preparatory work has taken place in anticipation of future development. This indicator covers vacant land (referred to as 'urban vacant') that is located within settlements of over 2,000 in population as defined in council local plans. Sites covering less than 0.1 hectare are excluded. The survey is voluntary. If a local authority does not complete the survey the most recent available data is used. Due to the impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the collection of SVDL survey for 2021 the publication date remains under review and cannot at the present time be pre-announced. If you have any questions please contact planstats@gov.uk.
Community Wellbeing and Social Environment
Data file for Derelict and Urban Vacant Land