Largest council in Wales backs devolution of Crown Estate
The number of councils that back the devolution of Crown Estate assets to Wales now stands at 19, after Cardiff Council backed the proposal.
The motion, which was passed by members at a full council meeting held last night, was put forward by Plaid Cymru, Green Party, Common Ground councillor Rhys Livesy.
In backing the motion the council agreed that the ‘council leader writes to Welsh and UK Governments outlining support for the management of the Crown Estate and its assets in Wales be devolved to the Welsh Government and that the funds raised be used to benefit and support the needs of communities in Wales’.
There are only now three of the 22 local authorities in Wales that have yet to back the move – Newport, Torfaen and Pembrokeshire.
The Cardiff Council motion to support the devolution of the Crown Estate to Wales as it is in Scotland, read:
As of 11th March 2025, 16 of Wales’ 22 local authorities have backed the devolution of the Crown Estate to Wales.
The Crown Estate controls vast areas of Welsh land and sea, including 65% of the foreshore and riverbed and over 50,000 acres of land. While it profits from offshore wind and other developments in Wales, up to 75% of its revenue goes directly to the UK Treasury, with a further 25% allocated to the monarchy – leaving Wales with no say over how its own resources are used.
The value of Crown Estate holdings in Wales has risen from £96m in 2020 to over £853m in 2023.
Scotland secured control of its Crown Estate in 2016.
A YouGov poll taken in spring 2023 showed that 75% of Welsh voters were in favour of Wales taking control of the management and assets of the Welsh Crown Estate rather than it remaining in the hands of the UK Treasury.
With local authorities facing severe financial pressure the money flowing out of Wales to the Crown Estate has become more of an urgent matter.
For 2024, as of 16th December 2024, Cardiff Council’s payments to the Crown Estate totalled £17,190 on items such as:
Pedestrian footways/footbridges and cycleways over or near rivers – £8,599
Boat hoisting fees on our rivers – £6,753
Water Taxi charges and slipway leases – £1,576
Other council’s see much larger sums, especially when large infrastructure projects such as off-shore windfarms and new port facilities are completed or under construction.
In response the council stated it: Agrees that our leader writes to Welsh and UK Governments outlining support for the management of the Crown Estate and its assets in Wales be devolved to the Welsh Government and that the funds raised be used to benefit and support the needs of communities in Wales.
Calls on our Chief Executive to consider opening discussions with the Crown Estate, urging the estate not to charge fees or rent on the council until the Council’s financial position has improved.
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