Commentary on Sections Part 8:  Common good property
369.Common good property is property owned by local authorities for the common good of the inhabitants in their areas which has been passed down, through local government reorganisation, from the former burghs. Those burghs would have received it as a gift or purchased it. It includes land and buildings, moveable items such as furniture and art, and cash funds. It is sometimes difficult to know whether property forms part of the common good, and there may be restrictions on how certain items of common good property are allowed to be used and whether the local authority can dispose of them. In some cases this has to be decided by the courts.
370.This Part of the Act aims to increase transparency about common good assets and community involvement in decisions taken about their identification, use and disposal. It does not define or redefine common good or remove or alter any restrictions on the use or disposal of common good property.