The future control of Wales’s common land, coastline, seabed and natural assets has moved back into sharp focus after the Welsh government set up a new expert group to examine reform of the Crown Estate.
The panel, which met for the first time this month, has been tasked with exploring how the Crown Estate operates in Wales, including governance, accountability and the case for devolution. The issue has gained momentum since all 22 Welsh local authorities backed devolution last year.
The debate has been shaped by developments elsewhere in the UK. Scotland has controlled its Crown Estate revenues since powers were devolved in 2017, while income from Crown Estate assets in Wales continues to flow to the UK Treasury and the monarchy, rather than to the Welsh government.
Announcing the group, Economy, Energy and Planning Secretary Rebecca Evans said its work would focus on ensuring Wales’s interests are central to any future reforms.
She said the group reflects “our commitment to ensuring that the management and benefits of the Crown Estate in Wales are fully aligned with the interests of the people of Wales”.
The panel brings together expertise from government, law, energy and local authorities and will be chaired by Nick Butler, founding head of the Policy Institute at King’s College London and a former BP strategy chief.
Other members include former Ofwat Wales director Gwenllian Roberts, planning and environmental law specialist Gwion Lewis KC, former Welsh Government climate change director John Howells, Jones Day energy specialist Michelle Davis, Scottish Government official Mike Palmer and Tim Peppin of the Welsh Local Government Association.
At its inaugural meeting, the group agreed its terms of reference, setting out work over the coming months to examine governance arrangements, economic impacts and the financial implications of devolution. It will also consider ways to strengthen accountability, including options around revenue assignment and enhanced reporting.
A Welsh government note confirmed that Mr Palmer will initially participate in his role as a Scottish government official, before continuing in a personal capacity following his retirement in March 2026.
The Crown Estate controls large areas of the Welsh coastline and seabed, along with around 50,000 acres of land. Calls for devolving control have been backed not only by all Welsh councils but also by the Independent Commission on the Constitutional Future of Wales.
However, the UK government has repeatedly rejected devolution, arguing it would not be in Wales’s interests. Instead, the Secretary of State for Wales, Jo Stevens, announced plans last year to appoint a commissioner to represent Welsh interests within the Crown Estate framework, a move critics say falls short of full accountability. An appointment is not expected until next year.
