Calls for Crown Estate to be managed by Welsh Government to be debated by councillors
Elgan Hearn – Local democracy reporter
Councillors are set to debate a motion that asks them to back a campaign for the management of Crown Estate assets in Wales to be handed over to the Welsh Government.
At county council meeting on Thursday, December 5, Plaid Cymru group leader, Cllr Elwyn Vaughan will put the motion in front of councillors for discussion.
Cllr Vaughan will ask that: “Powys council supports the campaign to devolve management of the Crown Estate and its assets in Wales to the Welsh Government and that the funds raised be used to support the social and economic needs of the Welsh people.
“We ask the chair of council to write to the Welsh Government outlining our support to help persuade Westminster to devolve the Crown Estate as a matter of urgency.”
Devolved
His motion will be formally seconded by fellow Plaid Cymru councllor, Bryn Davies.
The motion has already seen some interest and comments from councillors online ahead of the meeting.
On Facebook, Powys Independents Cllr Graham Breeze has asked his constituents for their views on the issue, and he said that he is: “minded to vote in favour.”
Cllr Breeze added that he has ready a study by Bangor University which sets out the position in Scotland where the Crown Estate has been devolved and managed by the Scottish Government since 2017.
Value
This report says that in 2023 the move had generated £103.6 million for the Scottish government’s coffers and the value of the estate had increased from £568 million to £653 million.
Cabinet member for a connected Powys, Liberal Democrat Cllr Jake Berriman has shared his concern that the money from devolving the Crown Estate could go to other parts of Wales rather than Powys.
Cllr Berriman said: “Can we give some more thought about how this might translate into a fairer settlement for rural Wales, and, as such, Powys.
He is concerned that the “metrics” that decide how the Welsh Government shares its funding between the Welsh local authorities “shifts ever further” in favour of councils in south Wales.
Property
Cabinet member for a safer Powys, Cllr Richard Church said: “In Scotland, the money from the Crown Estate stays in Scotland, the same should happen here in Wales.”
The Crown Estate is a collection of property, rights, and interest, owned by the King in “right of the crown.”
While the monarch is the legal owner, it is not the King’s private property and cannot be sold.
Revenues from the estate do not belong to the King, they go to the UK Government Treasury.
In Wales, it is estimated that the estate owns 65 per cent of the nation’s foreshore and riverbeds, and more than 50,000 acres of land.
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What a pointless exercise as it is not within their powers.
Its not pointless if it puts pressure on the UK government
It is not a pointless exercise. When it was raised with the last Tory SoS he said he thought there was no demand from Wales for this change. Swansea was the first county to support keeping the Crown Estate monies in Wales. Since then Cyngor Gwynedd, Monmouthshire County Council, Denbighshire County Council and Carmarthenshire County Council have endorsed the idea. By councils demanding equality with Scotland it is clear that there is a ground swell of support for this money remaining in Wales for the benefit of the people that live in Wales.
As the Crown Estate in Scotland, including proceeds, has been devolved to the Scottish government since 2017 it is outrageous that this isn’t the case in Wales too. Another case of Wales being blatantly discriminated against by both Tory and Labour UK Governments. It’s high time Wales’ Labour Government demanded that the UK Labour Government rectified this injustice. Well done Powys County Council. Let’s hope that Wales’ other 21 County Councils follow suite.