Recommendations to ensure delivery of CSO: • Utilise the land tax powers granted to the SG to make an Financial Conduct Authority approved CSO offer in the windfarm development, a minimum requirement for ALL developments not yet consented. o the SG has the power to raise new land taxes on any transactions & transfers involving interests in land, (Part 4A Chapter 3 of the Scotland Act). o The Land Registration etc (Scotland) Act 2012 (and the concomitant 2012 Act Registration Manual of the Registers of Scotland) defines ‘transfer’ as being any ‘transfer of whole’ or ‘transfer of part’ which requires the creation of a new title sheet with the Registers of Scotland – this includes the creation of rd leases between 3 party windfarm developers and landowners. o Thus the SG has the power to legislate for a new ‘tax’ – one that would require all developers who don’t own the land to make a CSO offer that fully meets the criteria of the GPP & which gives a level playing-field for all developers. • The type of CSO offer mandated by this new tax should be limited to a % equity-stake offer; o % equity-stake offers force the developer to make a lifetime offer with the Community as a financial partner. o % equity-stake offers are standard commercial investments, well understood by banks and advisors, with well-defined, existing commercial practices and processes. • This new land tax would tax leases taken out by commercial energy developers with land-owners and would consist of a binding, FCA approved, % equity-stake CSO offer that FULLY met the GPP. 3 • Any new tax should mandate a minimum of 15% equity-stake, in order for the SG to meet its 2030 2GW of community-owned energy from the proposed 8-12GW capacity and could be part of a Third Land Reform Bill or the proposed Community Wealth Building Bill. • Since 2009 the Danish Renewable Energy Act has required all new wind project have at least 20% local ownership.