McArthur to press Scottish Government on misleading land sale practices

Liam McArthur, Orkney’s MSP, plans to highlight in parliament concerns arising from misleading advertising practices relating to land sales in Orkney and other parts of the Highlands & Islands. Mr McArthur has been selected to ask a question during Justice portfolio questions next Wednesday, where he will seek clarity on what steps the Scottish Government can take to protect purchasers and communities affected.  

This follows reports earlier this year of agricultural land being listed with misleading information about its suitability for development in Orkney and across the wider region.  

Commenting ahead of next week, Mr McArthur said:

“It is unacceptable for sellers to list unsuitable land without planning permission and market the plots as ideal for development. This is undoubtedly a misleading practice and one that leaves buyers significantly out of pocket while also causing concerns for those in the local community.  

“I welcome Rightmove’s stated commitment this week to review its listings and remind landowners of their duty not to omit key information in advertisements. For those who have already fallen victim to this mis-selling, however, it is a change that comes too late. Indeed, it begs the question as to why such safeguards are not already built in and required by reputable operators.

“As we have seen in the past, however, there remains a risk that those involved in such practices simply look to exploit other routes to market land in misleading ways. That is why I want to explore with the Justice Secretary ways in which the Scottish Government might help protect buyers and address the understandable concerns of communities in Orkney and elsewhere in the Highlands & Islands.”