The Crown Estate is to transfer land at West Princes Street Gardens and the rights to fish wild oysters and mussels to Scottish organisations, and change its operations in Scotland.
The change follows the inquiry into the Crown by the Scottish Affairs Committee, as well as discussions in the Scottish parliament’s Scotland Bill Committee.
The Crown this morning also said it would be launching a retender and restructure process for its managing agent contracts in Scotland, covering its rural and coastal portfolio.
A Scottish commissioner will also be appointed to lead a newly established Scottish management board. In addition, two new senior operational roles with Scotland-wide responsibility have been created to lead operations in Scotland from the Crown’s Edinburgh office. Ronnie Quinn will lead on energy and infrastructure and Alan Laidlaw on rural and coastal interests.
Gareth Baird, the Crown Scottish commissioner, said: “We are serious about changing the way we do business in Scotland and the reforms we are announcing today acknowledge that we could have been more responsive to local communities in the past. They will ensure that in addition to delivering new inward investment, business and job opportunities in Scotland, our energy, rural and coastal businesses will be able to respond more effectively to the Scottish communities in which they operate.”
samantha.mcclary@estatesgazette.com
