Background The Act Part 1: the Crofters Commission Section 3: Obtaining Commission approval or consent
7.This section inserts a new section into the 1993 Act. New section 58A sets down the processes by which the majority of applications to the Commission will be determined. The Commission will no longer be required to determine every application made by crofters and landlords, but will still have a responsibility to intervene where there is an objection or where an application which raised no objections invokes separate criteria requiring the Commission to consider and decide whether the application should succeed. Excluded from these new arrangements are those applications which make substantial change to croft land: decrofting, apportionment and crofter forestry. These will continue in every case to require the Commission’s written approval in order to succeed.
8.Subsection (2) of new section 58A provides that in every case in which the applicant is required to apply to the Commission for consent or approval to make the proposed changes, the form on which the application is to be made and any documentation and fee will be specified by the Commission. This will, for example, allow the Commission to include measures to reduce the risk of fraudulent applications.
9.Subsection (3) requires the applicant to give public notice of the application and where the applicant is not the landlord or the owner of the common grazing affected by the application, to notify the landlord or owner in writing. This is to ensure that those who may wish to object have adequate notice of what is proposed. Subsection (4) specifies the time allowed for making an objection and who may do so. Subsection (16) provides that the objection submitted in terms of subsection (4) be made in the form described and subsection (17) describes what constitutes an objection in writing.
10.Subsection (6)(a) provides that the Commission is not compelled to act upon an objection which it considers to be frivolous, vexatious or unreasonable but must otherwise intervene where there is an objection. In addition and in terms of subsection 6(b) the Commission has the discretion to intervene in relation to an objection where it considers that any of the general or specific conditions apply to the application.
11.Subsection (7) specifies what the Commission must do if they decide not to intervene, or they have no grounds to intervene, to consider an application on the basis of a timely objection. Subsection (8) deals with the effects of the Commission deciding to intervene if one of conditions specified in subsection (6)(b) applies. Subsection (9) lists the general conditions that apply for the purposes of subsection (6)(b)(i). Subsection (10)(a) provides that where the Commission does not intervene it must approve the application and enter it in the Register of Crofts. Subsection (10)(b) deals with what should be done by the Commission, and in which timescales, following a decision to intervene. It requires the Commission to inform those parties with an interest that the application is to be considered by the Commission and why the Commission intervened. It also informs the parties of their right to appeal to the Land Court against the decision by the Commission on the application.
12.Subsection (11) gives the Commission the power to set up procedures and arrangements for deciding whether or not to approve or consent to an application and makes it clear that a decision to intervene in an application is a decision to determine whether or not the application is to be approved. It is important to note that this provision allows the Commission to delegate the task of making the decision to any person the Commission considers appropriate.
13.Subsection (12) provides that where the Commission following an intervention decides to approve or consent to the application the Commission will record details of the application they have consented to in the Register of Crofts and notify those who would have been notified if the Commission had previously decided not to intervene in the application.
14.Subsection (13) provides that Scottish Ministers may issue guidance to the Commission on what constitutes sustainable development of the local crofting community and requires the Commission to have regard to that guidance in considering whether a proposal would adversely affect that sustainable development of the crofting community affected by the application.
15.Subsection (14) gives Scottish Ministers power to amend the general conditions set out in subsection (9) by means of a statutory instrument. Subsection (15) requires that any such statutory instrument must be approved by means of an order made by resolution of the Parliament.