Neglect of common grazings now actively being encouraged by the Crofting Regulator!
The Crofting Commission have, in statements and guidance issued surrounding ‘The Common Clearances‘, stressed the importance of funds received by Grazings Committees requiring to be immediately paid out to shareholders.
As indicated in previous posts on this blog examples of the “nonsensical” and “totally impractical” stance by the Crofting Commission have been given by Donald Macsween on his blog Air An Lot.
A comment from Donald Murdie today on the Crofting Law Blog gives more practical examples of the need for funds to be maintained for the benefit of the common grazings.
Also today on Twitter I had an exchange of tweets on this topic with Rebecca Hutton. She pointed out that:-
Still not cleared things up re grazings regs saying to maintain a grazings fund. For example, we get £10 for island rent which would mean spending £22.55 to send out cheques of 24p each!!
Indeed. If you were to follow Crofting Commission stipulations who would meet the deficits that could arise in Common Grazings bank accounts?
Another question that the Crofting Commission are unlikely to answer in a hurry.