Crown Estate Scotland meeting “very promising”

The three Leaders of Scotland’s island councils have described a recent meeting with Crown Estate Scotland as “very promising”.

Leaders from Orkney Islands Council, Shetland Islands Council and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar met with representatives from the Crown Estate Scotland in Lerwick last Thursday as part of the ongoing Our Islands, Our Future initiative which is seeking additional powers for the three island councils.

The aim of the campaign is to take greater control over decisions that affect island communities, with one key aspiration for the three councils being to take over the Crown Estate’s current responsibility for the foreshore and seabed around their islands

The purpose of Thursday’s meeting was to look at how Crown Estate Scotland might implement proposals for piloting management of Crown Estate assets at both a local level and country level.  The meeting was also held to review proposals for three separate pilot schemes for the islands on a non-statutory basis.

Orkney Islands Council’s Leader, Councillor James Stockan, speaking on behalf all three Leaders said: “The representatives from the Crown Estate were certainly in listening mode and were keen to hear our case, with good engagement in the discussion on both sides.

“Devolution of the Crown Estate’s assets will give us the ability to ensure development in our waters is sustainable and delivers the maximum benefits for our communities. The Crown Estate Scotland Board was very receptive and positive about our pilot scheme proposals a meeting is to be set up at an official level to advance this workstream.

“We are also engaging with Government and other stakeholders through the Crown Estate stakeholders group in respect of the long-term management of Crown Estate Scotland’s assets.