Council pursues land reform for seabed

Highland Council seeks possibility of community ownership beyond foreshore

News, 12 August 2005

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Highland Council has raised the possibility of communities taking over the control of Scotland's seabed.

This takeover would allow communities to benefit from future renewable energy developments. Under the present system, Crown Estate controls approximately half of the foreshore and almost all of the seabed out to a distance of 12 miles.

The council's investigation of possible community ownership is being sought under land reform legislation.

The local authority surveyed the community last year and found that the majority felt that the current system did not benefit the community or the environment, and 45 of the 51 responses were in favour of a review of the system.

The council's vice-convener, Dr Michael Foxley, said there was a need to progress a national campaign to make the Crown Estate more accountable in Scotland.

He added that people needed to be aware that offshire wind energy could be developed without any consultation with the local community and that the council wanted to ensure that offshore energy benefited the community.

Current Crown Estate policy is to retain ownership of the seabed.

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