Yesterday (12 December), Plaid Cymru-led Ceredigion Council backed a motion to devolve the Crown Estate ‘to support the social needs of the Welsh people’ as a ‘matter of urgency’.
The motion, proposed by Plaid Cymru’s Catrin M S Davies, was passed unopposed and called on the Leader to press the First Minister of Wales to demand immediate action from the UK Prime Minister to transfer control of the Crown Estate to Wales.
The Crown Estate, which includes 65% of Wales’ riverbeds, beaches, and over 50,000 acres of land valued at over £853 million, currently generates significant profits that flow directly to the UK Treasury and the Royal Family. Last year, the Estate reported record profits, with a net increase of £658.1 million, bringing total earnings to £1.1 billion. In 2024, the section of the Crown Estate already devolved to the Scottish Government generated an estimated £108.3 million into the public coffers in Scotland.
A recent YouGov poll found that 58% of respondents supported devolving the Crown Estate to Wales. Ceredigion became the seventh county council in Wales to pass a motion calling for the devolution of the Crown Estate within Wales.
Cabinet member, Catrin M S Davies said:
“The figures speak for themselves. Wales could receive an estimated £50 million annually through the devolution of the Crown Estate. Considering the extreme financial challenges and tight budgets faced by councils, which in turn intensify hardships for residents, devolving the Crown Estate is a no brainer.
“Wales’ natural resources should serve the social and economic needs of Welsh people. Devolving the Crown Estate is an urgent step toward ensuring that the profits from our land, foreshores, and riverbeds stay in Wales to benefit our communities rather than Westminster.”
Cllr Alun Williams added:
"Devolving the Crown Estate to Wales is not just a matter of fairer funding; it’s about aligning resources with our unique challenges and needs. With 60 miles of coastline, Ceredigion stands to benefit significantly from control over the marine assets of the Crown Estate, promoting sustainability, economic regeneration, and addressing our profound social care challenges.
"Scotland has already taken advantage of devolution by gaining control of the Crown Estate since 2017, allowing its people to directly benefit from their natural resources. It's now time for Wales to follow suit and ensure that our public sector funding reflects the distinctive needs of our communities."
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