While Wales and Scotland are quite different countries they do share a slightly similar problem with absentee landlords. A new report has been produced by the Scottish Affairs Committee (in Westminster) has said the Crown Estates management of the marine environment around Scotland lacked transparency and public consultation. At the moment the Crown Estate's controls approximately 50% of Scotland's coast and almost all the seabed, as it does around Wales.
The Crown Estate owns the rights to the sites of fish farms, renewable energy developments, ports and marinas. The Crown Estate is owned by the Queen and managed by an independent board known as the Crown Estate Commissioners. The estate's revenues do not belong to the monarch and surplus revenue from its £7bn-worth of business is paid each year to the Treasury for the benefit of all UK taxpayers.
The Scottish Affairs Committee has said that the UK government should commit to having the Crown Estate's marine responsibilities and rights related to Scotland devolved to the Scottish government, on condition the powers were further devolved to local level. MPs in Westminster took evidence from local communities in Orkney, Shetland, Caithness, Argyll and the Western Isles. The MP’s noted that they received responses that were highly critical of the Crown Estate which included criticism of the organisation which behaved like an "absentee landlord" and "tax collector".
The MP’s considered the nature and extent of the problems in relation to the marine and coastal assets in Scotland, and concluded that the Crown Estate Commissioner should no longer be responsible in these areas. The MP’s concluded that when it comes to the conservation of these maritime assets and the benefits to the island and coastal communities most closely involved with them should be maximised. Something that can only be done is by devolving as much of the responsibility - and benefit - down to the level of those local communities as much as possible.
In March 2011, a Plaid Freedom of Information request revealed that the existing offshore wind farms in north Wales at North Hoyle and Rhyl Flats generated income to the Crown Estate of almost £400,000 in 2009-10. And that is set to multiply many times with the development of other sites. Construction of the Gwynt-y-Mor wind project is due to start this year and the Crown Estate told Leanne Wood it also had a zone development agreement with Centrica to develop up to 4.2 gigawatts, covering both Welsh and English waters.
The FOI request revealed that the Crown Estate has onshore options for three wind farms at Lys Dymper with Wind Power Wales, at Llanllwni with RES Renewables and Cilfaesty with RWE Power. Planning applications have been submitted for the first two. The annual report of Crown Estate showed its Welsh holdings generated a gross surplus of £2.3m in 2009-10 with capital receipts bringing in £1.8m. It owns more than 3,000 acres across Wales, principally agricultural holdings. Profits earned by the Crown Estate are paid to the Treasury, according to them, for "the benefit of the nation".
Last year it was revealed that the Con Dem Government and the Royal Family had signed a lucrative deal that will earn tens of millions of pounds from the massive expansion of offshore wind farms. The Crown will net up to £37.5 million extra income every year from the drive for green energy because the seabed within Britain’s territorial waters is owned by the Crown Estate. A nice little earner if you can get it, especially for an absentee landlord!
Showing posts with label Rhyl Flats. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rhyl Flats. Show all posts
Tuesday, 20 March 2012
Sunday, 20 March 2011
CROWN ESTATES PROFIT CALL
The Crown Estate is set for a multi-million pound windfall from the development of wind farms – and Plaid Cymru AM Leanne Wood believes the benefits of natural resources should go to the people of Wales.
A Freedom of Information request by Plaid’s Sustainability spokesperson revealed that the existing offshore wind farms in north Wales at North Hoyle and Rhyl Flats generated income to the Crown Estate of almost £400,000 in 2009-10.
And that is set to multiply many times with the development of other sites. Construction of the Gwynt-y-Mor wind project is due to start this year and the Crown Estate told Leanne Wood it also had a zone development agreement with Centrica to develop up to 4.2 gigawatts, covering both Welsh and English waters.
In addition, the Crown Estate has onshore options for three wind farms at Lys Dymper with Wind Power Wales, at Llanllwni with RES Renewables and Cilfaesty with RWE Power. Planning applications have been submitted for the first two.
The annual report of Crown Estate showed its Welsh holdings generated a gross surplus of £2.3m in 2009-10 with capital receipts bringing in £1.8m. It owns more than 3,000 acres across Wales, principally agricultural holdings. Profits earned by the Crown Estate are paid to the Treasury, according to them, for "the benefit of the nation".
Last year it was revealed that the Royal Family had secured a lucrative deal that will earn them tens of millions of pounds from the massive expansion of offshore wind farms. They will net up to £37.5 million extra income every year from the drive for green energy because the seabed within Britain's territorial waters is owned by the Crown Estate.
Leanne Wood AM, Plaid South Wales Central, said:
"The two North Wales wind farms generated £389,000 in income over the last financial year and that is set to grow into millions of pounds over the next few years with the increasing drive for more green energy. Many onshore and offshore projects are on the cards.
"Plaid’s view is that it is high time that profits which are earned from Wales’ natural resources, the seabed and the land should be owned by the Welsh Government for benefit of the people of Wales and not into the Treasury's coffers, which is passed into an already excessively wealthy Royal Family.
"We don’t want to repeat the situation where huge profits were made from the coal industry but Wales did not enjoy the benefits and is still paying the price today.
"Virtually all the UK’s sea bed, including that in Wales, up to 12 nautical miles and more than half the UK foreshore is owned by the Crown Estate.
WHAT THE CROWN ESTATES SAYS ABOUT ITS WELSH LAND HOLDINGS
We are responsible for three agricultural holdings, under different uses: Aberystwyth, which includes 34 hectares (84 acres) of land used by the University of Aberystwyth for research and the fourth largest sheep market in Wales, at 3 hectares (8 acres); Plynlimon, 1,185 hectares (2,928 acres) comprising two agricultural holdings; and Tintern, 68 hectares (169 acres) which includes substantial mineral interests on the west bank of the River Wye. In the interest of preserving Tintern Abbey for future generations, we have placed it in the care of CADW (the historic environment service of the Welsh Assembly) under a long-term management agreement. The majority of our estate in Wales is common land, primarily used for grazing sheep but we also have more traditional farms.
A Freedom of Information request by Plaid’s Sustainability spokesperson revealed that the existing offshore wind farms in north Wales at North Hoyle and Rhyl Flats generated income to the Crown Estate of almost £400,000 in 2009-10.
And that is set to multiply many times with the development of other sites. Construction of the Gwynt-y-Mor wind project is due to start this year and the Crown Estate told Leanne Wood it also had a zone development agreement with Centrica to develop up to 4.2 gigawatts, covering both Welsh and English waters.
In addition, the Crown Estate has onshore options for three wind farms at Lys Dymper with Wind Power Wales, at Llanllwni with RES Renewables and Cilfaesty with RWE Power. Planning applications have been submitted for the first two.
The annual report of Crown Estate showed its Welsh holdings generated a gross surplus of £2.3m in 2009-10 with capital receipts bringing in £1.8m. It owns more than 3,000 acres across Wales, principally agricultural holdings. Profits earned by the Crown Estate are paid to the Treasury, according to them, for "the benefit of the nation".
Last year it was revealed that the Royal Family had secured a lucrative deal that will earn them tens of millions of pounds from the massive expansion of offshore wind farms. They will net up to £37.5 million extra income every year from the drive for green energy because the seabed within Britain's territorial waters is owned by the Crown Estate.
Leanne Wood AM, Plaid South Wales Central, said:
"The two North Wales wind farms generated £389,000 in income over the last financial year and that is set to grow into millions of pounds over the next few years with the increasing drive for more green energy. Many onshore and offshore projects are on the cards.
"Plaid’s view is that it is high time that profits which are earned from Wales’ natural resources, the seabed and the land should be owned by the Welsh Government for benefit of the people of Wales and not into the Treasury's coffers, which is passed into an already excessively wealthy Royal Family.
"We don’t want to repeat the situation where huge profits were made from the coal industry but Wales did not enjoy the benefits and is still paying the price today.
"Virtually all the UK’s sea bed, including that in Wales, up to 12 nautical miles and more than half the UK foreshore is owned by the Crown Estate.
WHAT THE CROWN ESTATES SAYS ABOUT ITS WELSH LAND HOLDINGS
We are responsible for three agricultural holdings, under different uses: Aberystwyth, which includes 34 hectares (84 acres) of land used by the University of Aberystwyth for research and the fourth largest sheep market in Wales, at 3 hectares (8 acres); Plynlimon, 1,185 hectares (2,928 acres) comprising two agricultural holdings; and Tintern, 68 hectares (169 acres) which includes substantial mineral interests on the west bank of the River Wye. In the interest of preserving Tintern Abbey for future generations, we have placed it in the care of CADW (the historic environment service of the Welsh Assembly) under a long-term management agreement. The majority of our estate in Wales is common land, primarily used for grazing sheep but we also have more traditional farms.
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