A GROWING campaign has seen five Welsh local authorities vote in favour of transferring control of the Crown Estate to Wales.
In September, Swansea became the first council in Wales to pass the motion after Councillor Chris Evans proposed that “Swansea Council supports the campaign to devolve management of the Crown Estate and its assets in Wales to Wales and that the funds raised be used to support the social needs of the Welsh people.”
Since then, Gwynedd Council, Monmouthshire County Council, Denbighshire County Council, and, most recently, Carmarthenshire County Council have followed suit, after campaigning and support from members of Siarter Cartrefi and YesCymru.
The Crown Estate, a corporation managing significant property interests for the monarchy, owns vast swathes of land and water in Wales, including a staggering 65% of the Welsh foreshore and riverbed and more than 50,000 acres of land. This also means that the Crown Estate derives any profit from renewable energy and other business activities conducted on the land and sea which falls within its control.
Currently, up to 75% of the revenue generated by the Crown Estate goes to the UK Treasury, with the other 25% allocated to the monarch.
A 2023 Freedom of Information request revealed that the Crown Estate’s value in Wales had risen to £853 million, with offshore wind and marine energy accounting for 93% of its total value.
Evidence shows that there is overwhelming support for transferring control of the Crown Estate to the people of Wales, with a 2023 YouGov poll showing that 75% of people in Wales were now in favour of doing so.
For comparison, Scotland has had control of its Crown Estate since 2016. However, the UK Government recently rejected similar calls for Wales, despite the disparity.
The issue is a pressing one, with Gwynedd Council describing the £160,000 paid to the Crown Estate last year as “immoral,” given the financial pressures faced by local authorities in Wales.
YesCymru Chair, Phyl Griffiths, said: “I’m incredibly heartened to see a growing number of Wales’ authorities calling for us to be given the same consideration as Scotland, who already have been granted control over their Crown Estates.
“Having this enormous income-generating power would be a transformational step in changing our fortunes.
“It goes without saying that this campaign, and the growing cross-party support it’s attracting, isn’t borne of any anti-monarchy sentiment but is driven solely by a desperate need for wealth to breathe new life into our impoverished communities.”
YesCymru has pledged to continue supporting this campaign and encourages everyone to contact their local councillors to back this initiative.
While £853 million will not resolve all our problems, it would undoubtedly be a better use of the money to invest it for the benefit of Welsh communities.
