Common Good is the
name given to the inherited property of the former
burghs of Scotland and consists of a range of
assets both moveable (furniture, paintings, regalia
etc.) and heritable (land and buildings).
With respect to the 196 burghs defined in the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1947 (and whose Town Councils were wound up in May 1975), these assets are held by Local Authorities (in other words they have legal title) on behalf of the inhabitants of the former burghs. Title transferred under the terms of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 because no provision was made for any community body to act as a successor to the Town Councils.
Other classes of Common Good exist. These include land forming part of burghs not included in the 1947 Act and land owned by former Parish Councils and County Councils where it was purchased or gifted for the benefit of a defined group of people (in a village or town). Such other classes, however, are far less clearly defined in either statute of case law and further research is needed to determine their fate.
The goal of the Common Good Campaign which this site supports, is to
WHERE TO GO FROM HERE
If you want details of common good land in a specific burgh, visit the Burghs page.
For detailed reports, analysis and updates on how specific Local Authorities are responding to the demands for better stewardship of the Common Good, click here.
For a quick guide to Common Good and how to begin finding out more through research, download Common Good - A Quick Guide (link on the right) and visit the Research page.
To download a copy of the 2005 Common Good Land report by Wightman & Perman, click on the icon on the right.
For NEWS on the campaign to recover common good land click here
For further information, click on the Further Information sub menu above.
To learn more about Common Good Law, order a copy of Andrew Ferguson's 2006 book, Common Good Law. Click on icon on right to download order form.
With respect to the 196 burghs defined in the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1947 (and whose Town Councils were wound up in May 1975), these assets are held by Local Authorities (in other words they have legal title) on behalf of the inhabitants of the former burghs. Title transferred under the terms of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 because no provision was made for any community body to act as a successor to the Town Councils.
Other classes of Common Good exist. These include land forming part of burghs not included in the 1947 Act and land owned by former Parish Councils and County Councils where it was purchased or gifted for the benefit of a defined group of people (in a village or town). Such other classes, however, are far less clearly defined in either statute of case law and further research is needed to determine their fate.
The goal of the Common Good Campaign which this site supports, is to
- have an accurate public register of all Common Good assets (both heritable and moveable)
- have full and accurate accounts published for every Common Good Fund
- have a new Common Good Act which will define and stipulate how Common Good Funds should be managed and which will provide a statutory right for communities of burghs to have legal title to all Common Good assets.
WHERE TO GO FROM HERE
If you want details of common good land in a specific burgh, visit the Burghs page.
For detailed reports, analysis and updates on how specific Local Authorities are responding to the demands for better stewardship of the Common Good, click here.
For a quick guide to Common Good and how to begin finding out more through research, download Common Good - A Quick Guide (link on the right) and visit the Research page.
To download a copy of the 2005 Common Good Land report by Wightman & Perman, click on the icon on the right.
For NEWS on the campaign to recover common good land click here
For further information, click on the Further Information sub menu above.
To learn more about Common Good Law, order a copy of Andrew Ferguson's 2006 book, Common Good Law. Click on icon on right to download order form.
Click on icon above and then select 'Commonweal Appeal' from the menu on the donations page.