Crown Estate Scotland Launch New Consultation

Glenlivet Estate
Hannah Downey

Crown Estate Scotland is a public corporation. They manage and innovate with land and property – seabed, coastline, rural estates and more – to deliver wider value. Collectively, the assets are referred to as the Scottish Crown Estate.

They help families, businesses & communities to live, work and thrive on the assets and return all revenue profit to Scottish Government to benefit the public purse.

The Scottish Crown Estate rural assets include 37,000 hectares (around 91,000 acres) of land in rural Scotland. The vast majority is let for a variety of uses including farming, residential, commercial, sporting and mineral operations.

In this consultation document they have put forward a number of key issues related to the overall objectives of managing the rural assets, long-term financial sustainability and principles for decision-making.

The final rural assets strategy that follows this consultation will cover 2019 to 2023 and be aligned with wider Scottish Government policy and guidance.

The strategy will be distinct from local authorities’ local development plans. This is not a spatial or sector specific exercise, it does not relate directly to regulatory compliance and / or planning consents, which are not within their remit.

 

​Why are they consulting?

Crown Estate Scotland needs to develop a strategy for the rural assets which reflects

  • the priorities and aspirations of rural communities;
  • a wider cross-section of interests such as organisations working to enhance productivity of land and develop new ways to promote sustainable economic growth;
  • Scottish Government policy; and
  • wider economic trends.

The consultation will inform their rural assets strategy and feed into their 2020-23 Corporate Plan.

They therefore hope that this consultation generates responses from a broad range of stakeholders, reflecting the reach and importance of the issues identified in the consultation document and how they relate to Scotland’s future.

As part of the consultation there will be drop-in events on each of the four rural estates. These events are open to all and there is no need to book in advance, you can find out more here.

Download the consultation paper.

Take the consultation.