SEBG members are committed to representing the interests of land-based businesses and rural communities.

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• Overview
• Code of Practice

SEBG is active across a wide range of issues relevant to rural Scotland.

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• Sustainable Rural Development
  • - Enterprise
  • - Agriculture
  • - Renewable Energy
• Environment
  • - Natural Heritage
  • - Access
  • - Leisure & Tourism
  • - Enjoy Estates Initiative
• Communities
  • - Housing
  • - Community Facilities
  • - Education
• Built Heritage

• Affordable Housing
• Atholl Glens Organic Beef and Lamb
• Community Involvement - Langholm Initiative
• Deer Management
• Enjoy Estates
• Langholm Moor Demonstration Project
• Letting of Land to New Entrants - A Roxburghe Estate View
• Climate Change - The Role of Estates
• Creating Opportunities for New Entrants
• Focus on Forestry and Timber
• Role of Fishing in Scotland's Rural Economy
• Rural Renewable Energy Conference & Exhibition

Articles, news releases and publications relevant to SEBG.

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• SEBG News
• SEBG News Archive
• SEBG Publications
• SEBG Publications Archive

If you would like to know more about the Scottish Estates Business Group there are several ways you can contact us.

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• Scotland Map Showing Regional SEBG Contacts

SEBG News

Scottish estates launch 'rural manifesto' for 2007 elections

13th October 2006

The Scottish Estates Business Group, which represents progressive rural estates in Scotland, today (Friday) launched its rural manifesto for next year's Scottish Parliamentary and local authority elections.

SEBG, which unveiled its manifesto to coincide with the SNP conference in Perth, said   there were 'crucial' rural issues that needed to be made key priorities by Scotland's political parties as they prepared for the elections in May.

The Group is committed to helping to 'secure a successful future for rural Scotland' and said that action should be taken across a range of areas to deliver 'enduring benefits' for rural communities and businesses.

The SEBG manifesto puts forward a range of proposals covering Agriculture, Economy, Energy, Environment, Housing, Food and Tourism.

Launching the manifesto, Sir Alastair Gordon Cumming, chairman of SEBG, said: "We are setting out the issues that should be acted on by decision-makers at Holyrood and at local authority level. Our objective is one we believe can be shared by all and that is securing a successful future for rural Scotland."

The SEBG manifesto includes seeking commitments from political parties to:-

• Establish a scheme to attract new entrants to farming.
• Reduce red tape for all rural businesses.
• Provide more flexible support from enterprise organisations for business start-ups.
• Create a planning system that helps rather than hinders business expansion and opportunities.
• Reduce Business rates as environmental incentives.
• Provide greater recycling provision in rural communities.
• Develop a public sector procurement process which favours local sourcing
• Encourage local food in schools.
• Approve rural exception sites for new homes- making sites not on local plans available for development.
• Support the development of shared equity housing in the private sector.
• Support greater focus on holiday breaks in rural Scotland.
• Cut bureaucracy fostered by VisitScotland.com and regional tourist associations.
• Deliver a clearer strategic view on windfarm sites.
• S upport the establishment of a Biomass supply chain.

Young estate workers, Stuart Charnock and Mandy McCabe, launched the SEBG manifesto at Scone Palace today.

Stuart, a Groundsman on Mansfield Estates, said: "As someone who both lives and works in the countryside, it's important to seek commitment and action to secure economic opportunities for rural Scotland".

"Those who make a living in the countryside want our politicians to put rural interests high up their agenda."

Mandy McCabe works at Scone Palace.   She said: "Estates are involved in a wide range of rural activities, from tourism to agriculture and from housing to business support so they have a key role to play in Scotland's rural development. This Manifesto reflects what Scotland's countryside would like our politicians to deliver."

Click here to download a copy of the SEBG Manifesto for 2007

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