DENBIGHSHIRE County Council has backed a motion calling for control of the Crown Estate’s assets in Wales to be transferred to the Welsh Government.
The motion, which was passed by a majority of councillors, with only two abstentions, was brought by Cllr Martin Hogg from the Green Party and seconded by Cllr Elfed Williams of Plaid Cymru.
The Crown Estate is a corporation responsible for managing the monarchy’s substantial property interests. It has a £16bn portfolio of land and seabed across Wales, England and Northern Ireland.
It still owns the castles such as Denbigh, Rhuddlan, Conwy and Caernarfon despite the Welsh conservation agency Cadw being responsible for their management and maintenance.
The Crown Estate’s profits flow into the coffers of the UK Treasury, with 12% being passed on to the royal family through the taxpayer-funded Sovereign grant.
The corporation recently posted a record £1.1bn in profits, surging by more than £658 million during the year ending March 31. This translates into a boost of more than £45 million for the royal family. The 53% increase means that their revenue will surge from £86.3 million in 2024/2025 to £132 million in 2025/2026.
The still Crown Estate owns vast swathes of Wales, including 65% of the Welsh foreshore and riverbed and more than 50,000 acres of land. The income from these has increased substantially over recent years because of the growth of offshore windfarms.
The value of the Crown Estate’s holdings in Wales increased from £96m to over £853m between 2020 and 2023.
The motion put forward by Councillor Martin Hogg said: “We confirm that Denbighshire County Council support the campaign to devolve control of the Crown Estate and its assets in Wales to the Welsh Government and that the money that is raised is used by Local Authorities to support the social needs of the people who live in Wales.
It adds: “We ask the Leader to write to the Welsh Government to outline our support for persuading Westminster to devolve the Crown Estate as a matter of urgency.
Cllr Elfed Williams said: “Wales’ assets have been used for too long without any benefit to our constituents.
“Everyone is aware of our history in the slate, coal and iron industry that led the world at times, but here we are today with 1 in every 4 of our constituents and over 30% of our children living in poverty.
“Crown Estate assets in Wales have been valued at around £843m and 63% of our coastline is owned by it. Though in Denbighshire we don’t have to pay £160,000 in fees to the Crown Estate like they do in Gwynedd, but why should we even have to pay the £2,700 we do for the right to use beaches in Rhyl and Prestatyn?
“You will also know that the Crown Estate still own Denbigh and Rhuddlan castles. By now the Crown Estate has already been devolved to Scotland so we’re not asking for something without precedent. Scotland profits from this with over £100 going to its treasury and it has been estimated that Wales would receive around £40-£50 million to support our public services.
“We’re all aware of our serious financial situation today and devolving the Crown Estate wouldn’t meet all our needs but it would help. I want to make it clear that this isn’t a motion against the monarchy but a motion in favour of our constituents where Wales benefits from our natural assets for once to improve the circumstances of the people we represent.”
