Orkney to benefit from over £700k in crown estate revenue

Orkney will be one of 26 coastal communities across Scotland to benefit from a £9.7 million pot of funding generated by the Scottish Crown Estate’s marine assets, providing vital support for responding to the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19).

The funding, which comes from the second year of devolved management of Crown Estate assets is up by more than £2m on last year and is more than double the funding available under the old Coastal Communities Fund.

It will be allocated to the 26 local authority areas which have coastlines, with funding based on their share of the adjacent sea area. Orkney is set to receive £773,673.43, while each of Scotland’s other two island councils will be receiving over a million pounds. Shetland will be receiving £1,008,679.18 and the Western Isles benefitting from £1,702,411.87.

According to the Scottish Government, the scope of the fund has been broadened this year in response to COVID-19, with local authorities now able to directly support businesses, including third sector organisations, affected by the pandemic.

Land reform secretary, Roseanna Cunningham, said: “COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on communities across the country and particularly those people and businesses living and working in our coastal areas, which are often reliant on tourism. That is why we have widened the remit of these funds to include direct support, where necessary, to coastal businesses and third sector organisations.

“We have also worked to allocate this year’s funding as swiftly as possible to enable local authorities to help these organisations through the economic shock caused by the pandemic, and direct resource to where it is most needed in support of a wellbeing economy.”

“This year’s funding is a significant increase on the revenue which was allocated from the Scottish Crown Estate to local authority areas in the first year of this funding coming under devolved management. It will greatly help our coastal areas as we embark on a challenging period of recovery from the pandemic for all parts of our economy.”

Kirkwall East councillor, Steven Heddle, who is COSLA’s environment and economy spokesman, said: “COSLA has worked with Marine Scotland to finalise arrangements for distribution of net revenues and welcomes their timely allocation to local authorities.

“We continue working on the longer-term review to develop an appropriate approach for the future distribution methodology.”