Land Property in Britain

Submitted by Elysard on May 2, 2021

Hello,
A long time ago when I was in England I bought (or was given) a book with the approximate title "Who does England [or Britain] belong to?", or something like that. I think the publisher was Pluto Press but I'm not sure, the book doesn't seem to be listed (or not anymore) in their catalogue anyway.
The book was about land ownership and I was surprised to learn that the aristocracy, the crown, the Church of England and a few colleges in Cambridge and Oxford owned almost all of the land but also a significant portion of the real estate.
Later, shortly after the end of the miners' strike, I went to Shirebrook to visit comrades. At one point I needed to go to Doncaster and one of the miners accompanied me. During the whole journey he spent his time explaining that to the right for x kilometres the land belonged to such and such an aristocrat and to the left for y kilometres it belonged to such and such another aristocrat, etc., until we arrived at Doncaster.
This kind of situation is quite strange to a Frenchman because the huge estates of the Crown, aristocracy and the Church were dismantled at the time of the revolution in 1789..
As I understand it, it is difficult to buy a house with the system of ampheotic leases, a system that keeps the estate indefinitely in the same entity.

My question is this: I would like to know about the structure of land and property ownership in the UK.
If someone could give me some information or point me in the right direction, it would be very helpful.

René

R Totale

3 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by R Totale on May 2, 2021

I was going to say you want the Land Justice Network - apparently they're now out of action, but the website might still be useful:

https://www.landjustice.uk/

See also:
https://www.anarchistcommunism.org/2020/04/09/video-this-land-is-ours-acg-talk/

https://whoownsengland.org/

https://www.anarchistcommunism.org/2018/06/14/land-and-liberty/

There's a whole ACG pamphlet on land you can order through here: https://www.anarchistcommunism.org/publications/

ajjohnstone

3 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by ajjohnstone on May 3, 2021

Stats for Scotland

Andy Wightman is the one to go to for the situation in Scotland

Recent changes has been the Duke of Buccleuch selling off some of his land to Land Trusts.

https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/who-really-owns-scotland-land-ownership-reform-act-registry

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/feb/04/scottish-ministers-consider-stringent-land-ownership-tests

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/mar/20/report-calls-for-reform-of-unhealthy-land-ownership-in-scotland

http://news.trust.org/item/20181025065833-3dv6p/

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-41414706

Fozzie

3 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Fozzie on May 3, 2021

Also of interest: The rich at play: foxhunting, land ownership and the Countryside Alliance
https://libcom.org/library/rich-play-foxhunting-land-ownership-countryside-alliance

Elysard

3 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Elysard on May 3, 2021

Thanks a lot, this will be helpful
René

R Totale

3 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by R Totale on May 18, 2021

Related:
www.gmhousingaction.com/who-owns-the-city/

Serge Forward

3 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Serge Forward on May 20, 2021

R Totale

There's a whole ACG pamphlet on land you can order through here: https://www.anarchistcommunism.org/publications/

Related, our out of print Fight for the City can be downloaded for free here: https://www.anarchistcommunism.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Fight-for-the-city-A5-web-version.pdf

Here's the blurb:

“Campaigning around land ownership is basically a challenge to private property, the basis of capitalism. What we are fighting for is for the working class to take effective control of land and what is built on that land, including homes, workplaces and all other spaces.”
London ACG

Elysard

3 years 5 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Elysard on June 12, 2021

Thank you all for this information