‘THIS land is your land, this land is my land. This land was made for you and me’ sang American folk singer, Woody Guthrie. Woody, of course, wasn’t singing about Scotland.

Despite changes like the Community Empowerment Act and community right to buy, local people are not in control of their surroundings.

Take a walk around communities in Glasgow and note the amount of derelict land and empty buildings, all wasted resources.

Left long enough the ‘surplus’ buildings are vandalised, set alight and need to be demolished because they are too dangerous.

If it is in an area desirable to developers, like anywhere close to the west end, there will eventually be expensive private flats.

Just now that is most likely to be student flats. Now the growing number of students in the city need accommodation and the more safe and secure the better but how many developments have the support of the community.

Similarly how many communities want to see a closed down school, community centre or hospital lie vacant for decades.

Sitting hauntingly empty, taunting the residents who most probably campaigned for it to be retained. An insult to injury if ever there was one.

How many people would rather it was put to good use either as a community facility or if it has to be built on then affordable good quality homes for social rent.

So it was heartening this week to hear MP Anne McLaughlin want to employ someone to help communities identify alternative uses for buildings and land and support their efforts to take ownership.

That won’t be without difficulty either. Just ask the Kelvin Meadow campaigners who have seen their efforts over many years swept away as councillors approved a planning application for private flats on the site.

When the Community Empowerment Act was passed, minister, Marco Biagi, said: “It will now be easier for buildings and land in both urban and rural areas that may have been underused to be transformed into community gardens and facilities.”

Perhaps the Act should be strengthened to prioritise community proposals and if not viable then developers are offered the opportunity.

That could extend to local housing associations being placed ahead of private developers in the queue for desirable land for homes.

If the Kelvin ‘meadow’ at Clouston Street has to be used for housing there would be no shortage of takers for affordable rented family homes.

Perhaps the additional but seldom heard private property verse in Guthrie’s song is more appropriate, where he wonders ‘is this land made for you and me?’