South Scotland SNP MSP Emma Harper is to lead the discussion at Holyrood.
She has been campaigning for action to see eyesore locations transformed into useful community assets and has found evidence which shows they can have a negative impact on the wellbeing of communities.
And she wants an update from the Scottish Government on work to implement the recommendations from the Scottish Land Commissions Report, Transforming Scotland’s Approach to Vacant and Derelict Land, and to set out an update on the Government’s engagement with the Scottish Land Commission’s joint taskforce on Vacant and Derelict Land.
The MSP said: “The reason it is so important to address these sites is because research, including from the Scottish Land Commission, University of Glasgow and Green Space Scotland, shows that vacant and derelict sites can harm the wellbeing of communities.
“The findings show that these sites can contribute to negative mental health, feelings of a lack of safety, and that vacant and derelict sites can contribute to anxiety and a persistent low mood.
“I look forward to leading this debate, but in the meantime I will continue to do all I can – such as I am doing with the petition calling on D&G Council to urgently address the former Interfloor Factory in Dumfries – to see action taken to turn these sites into assets for our communities.”
