Stay up to date with everything happening at Registers of Scotland (RoS) with our monthly update.
Key messages:
- Re-opening the application record
- Digital Submissions consultation closes on 01 Feb 2021
- RCI (Registers of Persons Holding a Controlled Interest in Land)
- Read the latest blog on our enhanced approach to Sasines
- Top tips to avoid rejections
- Fee Review Consultation
- Non-Executive Director recruitment
Re-opening the application record
The Land Register application record and the Register of Sasines will fully re-open on 01 March 2021.
The date is important as it means those Advance Notices which were extended by the Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020 will expire, 10 days later, on 11 March 2021.
The Digital Submission System will continue to be the main way to submit applications. If your digital submission has an accompanying document which cannot be scanned, you can make use of our non-digital documents function.
Visit our website to find out what to do next.
Digital Submission Consultation closes on 01 Feb 2021
The use of our new digital submissions systems is currently underpinned by the emergency Coronavirus legislation. We want to hear your views on the introduction of legislative provisions on a more permanent basis.
Don’t miss your chance, visit the Scottish Government Consultation Hub before 01 Feb 2021.
RCI (Registers of Persons Holding a Controlled Interest in Land)
The regulations regarding the ‘Register of Persons Holding a Controlled Interest in Land’ have been laid before Parliament for their final reading. We anticipate that they will be voted on before the end of the parliamentary session. The policy intention of this new register is to increase public transparency of individuals who have control over decision-making in relation to land in Scotland.
Subject to the regulations gaining parliamentary approval, the Register will commence on 01 April 2022. Following which there will be a one-year transitional period before any offence provisions for non-compliance come into effect.
RoS teams are currently undertaking discovery work for the development of the new Register, and working towards the ‘go live’ date of 01 April 2022.
More information will be released as it becomes available with a targeted awareness raising campaign for our stakeholders.
Enhanced approach to Sasines Blog
Check out the latest blog from Fiona McKie, Head of Land Register Completion, as she sets out some of our latest thinking on the new enhanced approach to Sasines.
Top tips to avoid rejections
Catch up on some top tips to help you get the best out of our Digital Submission Systems. Find out more about some of the common errors and how to avoid them. This will help improve your turnaround times, maintain the integrity of the register, and reduce the possibility of rejections.
Most people are using the systems correctly. With your help we can make this 100 per cent.
Fee Review Consultation
Our fee review public consultation closed on 24 December 2020. We received 44 responses from organisations and individuals, including members of the legal profession. Overall, the responses have been supportive and largely understanding of our proposed changes which includes the potential removal of the rejection fee.
You can read RoS’ response to the consultation feedback. Respondents’ comments have been published on the Scottish Government consultation hub.
On Friday 22 January 2021 a draft Statutory Instrument (SSI) to amend our fees was laid in the Scottish Parliament. The SSI will now go through the parliamentary process. If it’s approved, the proposed date for the new statutory fees coming into effect is Thursday 1 April 2021. Please note this is a provisional date and cannot be confirmed until the proposals receive parliamentary approval.
Once we receive confirmation from Parliament, we’ll make a further announcement.
I outlined some of the rationale behind our fee review in a previous blog, and more detailed background was included in the Fee Review 2020 Consultation paper.
Non-Executive Director Recruitment
Following a competitive recruitment process, I am delighted to welcome three new Non-Executive Directors to our board.
- Mhairi Kennedy
- Asim Muhammad
- Elaine Melrose
Find out more about our new Non-Executives on the website.
Contact us
For general enquiries or specific questions about an application contact:
Email: customerservices@ros.gov.uk Phone: 0800 169 9391
If there are is anything else you would like to bring to my attention during this period, please email FAO Jennifer Henderson: rossecretariat@ros.gov.uk
Jennifer Henderson, Keeper of the Registers of Scotland