Council welcomes breakthrough on Crown Estate benefits

The Leader of The Highland Council Councillor Michael Foxley has welcomed the UK Government’s announcement that coastal communities will benefit in future from Crown Estate marine activities. 

The new Coastal Communities Fund, to be introduced from April next year, will be financed by the UK Government through the allocation of funding equivalent to 50 per cent of the revenues from the Crown Estate’s marine activities.  

This new fund is designed to support the economic development of coastal communities and support a wide range of projects, including those that support charities, the environment, education and health. Examples could include support for developing renewable energy, improving skills or environmental safeguarding or improvement. The fund will be available on a bid basis and the Government is in discussion with the Big Fund, part of the Big Lottery Fund, about the detailed terms on which they could deliver the funds to communities. 

Councillor Foxley said: “This is a historic move after 30 years of campaigning. I am extremely pleased that the principle has now been established that local communities in the Highlands and Islands should benefit directly from the revenue obtained by the use of marine resources in their area. It is pleasing that the fund is ring-fenced to the Highlands and Islands and it would make sense to set up a Highlands and Islands Committee to ensure that local communities directly benefit from the use of marine resources  in front of them.

“We have to continue to press for the management of the marine resources to be transferred from the Crown Estate to the local planning authority and the strategic framework should be determined by the Highland and Islands local authorities, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and relevant business interests.”