Council backs motion aimed at blocking ‘access payments’ to Crown Estate – and urges others to do the same
Martin Shipton
Members of Plaid Cymru-controlled Gwynedd council have passed a motion that calls on the Crown Estate to stop charging it more than £161,000 a year so the public can have access to beaches and other coastal areas.
Now they hope other local authorities in Wales will make a similar stand.
In line with the motion, Gwynedd’’s chief executive Dafydd Gibbard will seek to open up negotiations with the body aimed at stopping the charges.
Gwynedd’s decision to back the motion moved by Plaid councillor Dewi Jones can be seen as a major step forward for the campaign launched earlier this year to devolve the Crown Estate to Wales, as it already is in Scotland.
Devolved
Cllr Jones’ motion says: “Cyngor Gwynedd [Gwynedd council] states that we believe responsibility for the Crown Estate should be devolved to the Welsh Government. Any profits generated by the Crown Estate, here on Welsh lands and waters, should remain in Wales, for the benefit of our residents and communities. Responsibility for the Crown Estate is already devolved to the Scottish Government.
“This council also states our dissatisfaction that we are obliged to pay annual fees (in the form of leases) to ensure that Gwynedd residents and visitors have access to various sites, including our beaches and other facilities. In 2023, Cyngor Gwynedd paid a total of over £161,000 to the Crown Estate. Lease fees in 2023 ranged from £35 for ‘Bangor beachfront’, to £8,500 for ‘Dwyfor beach front’, to £144,000 for ‘Hafan Pwllheli’. In a period of severe financial hardship for public services, we believe that it is immoral that such fees go towards the maintenance of the British Monarchy and to the coffers of the Treasury in London. This money should remain in Gwynedd to support the people of Gwynedd.
“We call on the chief executive to make arrangements to open discussions with the Crown Estate regarding the fees paid by Cyngor Gwynedd. We will encourage the chief executive to endeavour to persuade the Crown Estate to delay further invoicing until such time as the council’s financial situation has improved. We note that the Crown Estate’s profits have more than doubled from £443m in 2022/23 to £1.1bn in 2023/24. During the same period Cyngor Gwynedd has seen its budget cut in real terms.”
Public access
In theory, the Crown Estate could bar public access to the areas it controls, although that would be seen as hugely provocative, with the potential to cause reputational damage to the royal family.
Before the vote on Thursday October 3, Cllr Jones, who represents the Peblig ward in Caernarfon, said: “Every year we give around £160,000 to the Crown Estate to be able to access our beaches, and other places around the county.
“For us, a county council that has seen our budget cut every year in real terms, I think that is quite immoral. Especially as we face further cuts to services as the profits of the Crown Estate more than doubled in the past year.
“I feel strongly that we should stop these payments for now and start a real conversation about the devolution of land management, and the profits that come from them to the Welsh Government.”
Gold and silver
Across Wales,, the Crown Estate owns land estimated to be worth more than £603m. That includes 65% of the coast of Wales and 300,000 acres of land, as well as any gold and silver that is found on it,
After the motion was passed, Plaid cabinet member Cllr Elin Walker Jones said: “I’m very proud to have voted for this motion, which passed very easily. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if other local authorities in Wales followed our example and passed similar motions?”
Asked about Cllr Jones’ motion, a spokesperson for the Crown Estate said it was working closely with the Welsh Government to ensure that it creates financial, environmental and social value, now and in the long term.
The campaign to get the Crown Estate devolved to Wales was launched in January 2024 by Plaid Cymru’s Westminster leader Liz Saville Roberts, the then Labour MP for Cynon Valley Beth Winter and the grassroots campaign organisation Siarter Cartrefi.
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This practice definitely feels outdated and it’s a good idea to test it given how stretched budgets are. It will be interesting to see what the Crown Estate does about it. If they do enforce it and close off the access it will probably hurt their reputation more than the Councils, as when budgets are tight you have to fulfill your legal obligations first and I can’t imagine that access to some beaches falls under that compared to say, providing education and social care.
More likely Labour UK will tell Wales Gov to get Councils to tow the line or face losing a share for Wales.
Make a stand but be prepared for consequences.
Make the stand.Stuff th consequences.
Absolutely. I don’t think the government is going to risk the civil disobedience likely if they try to punish Cymru.
Its like disneyland with us serfs as that is how they look at us the French had the right idea OFF WITH THEIR HEADS there are royals in other countries but not pampered and worshiped like the Royals here i can remember reading that the Queen of the Netherlands riding around Amsterdam on a bike and doing it often can you imagine our pampered lot doing that
The abhorrence of English Royals claiming money from another country should have gone with their empire, but then Cymru is the first and last colony.
Local Authorities just need to raise a local tax charge equal to 100% of what is being claimed by the Crown Estate, then refuse to pay as the accounts are balanced. Anything other than ditching this farce will be a PR nightmare for the English Royals, so they should just tell the Crown Estate to stay out of other countries.
Cymru just needs the balls to fly solo.
Excuse my ignorance, but I wasn’t aware that Cymru was also penalised for having access to ‘it’s own beaches’ by the Crown Estates too! No wonder we are a poor country! Well done Gwynedd! If other councils follow suit and put the boot in by hitting the Crown and Treasury where it hurts most – in the pocket – perhaps they’ll start to listen. Enough with the ripping off and plundering of our land and sea.
The Scottish government was given control of the Crown Estate in Scotland, including benefiting from its revenue, a few years ago. However, Wales wasn’t accorded the same treatment. This indicates yet another case of discrimination against Wales when compared to Scotland. The Welsh Labour government should mount a relentless campaign to persuade the London Labour government to eliminate this inequity – but I’m not holding my breath.
Great work by Dewi and his colleagues and let’s hope the discussions are fruitful, though I doubt it. I have sent Freedom of Information requests to the other five local authorities in North Wales. If politics fails we should revert to the Kinder Scout mass trespass of 1932, and the best location would undoubtedly be Hafan y Môr.