Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Sir Gâr councils together pay £105,589.29 in fees to the Crown Estate each year to allow public access to their land, according to new data.
The Crown Estate: raking it in from Wales
The figure was revealed via freedom of information requests by the office of Cefin Campbell, Plaid Cymru Member of the Senedd for Mid and West Wales. According to Campbell, the information reinforces his party’s call for the devolution of responsibility for the Crown Estate to Wales.
Currently, Crown Estate profits are received and handled by UK Treasury on behalf of the royal family.
In a question to Jayne Bryant, the Welsh Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Housing, in the Senedd on Wednesday, 19 February, Cefin Campbell MS asked:
Currently, local authorities – in the face of the challenges of the cost-of-living crisis and the increase in national insurance contributions – are considering cuts to public services in order to avoid shortfalls in their budgets. In the case of Ceredigion, the council faces a deficit of around £5 million, and is considering raising council tax by up to 14%.
Do you agree with me and my colleagues in Plaid Cymru, therefore, that it is impossible to justify the fact that councils in south-west Wales send over £100,000 over the border to the UK Treasury and the royal family every year, and that the process of transferring responsibility over the Crown Estate to Wales should start as soon as possible?
Welsh language version
Mae cynghorau Ceredigion, Sir Benfro a Sir Gâr yn talu £105,589.29 rhyngddyn nhw mewn ffioedd i Ystâd y Goron bob blwyddyn er mwyn caniatáu mynediad y cyhoedd i’w dir, yn ôl data newydd.
Datgelwyd y ffigwr trwy geisiadau rhyddid gwybodaeth gan swyddfa Cefin Campbell, Aelod Plaid Cymru o’r Senedd dros Ganolbarth a Gorllewin Cymru. Yn ôl Mr. Campbell, mae’r wybodaeth yn atgyfnerthu galwad ei blaid am ddatganoli cyfrifoldeb dros Ystâd y Goron i Gymru.
Ar hyn o bryd, mae’r arian yn cael ei dderbyn a’i drin gan Drysorlys y Deyrnas Unedig ar ran y teulu brenhinol.
Mewn cwestiwn i Ysgrifennydd Cabinet dros Lywodraeth Leol a Thai Llywodraeth Cymru, Jayne Bryant yn y Senedd heddiw (dydd Mercher, 19 Chwefror), holodd Cefin Campbell AS:
Rydym mewn cyfnod lle mae ein hawdurdodau lleol – yn wyneb heriau’r argyfwng costau byw a’r cynnydd mewn cyfraniadau yswiriant gwladol – wrthi’n ystyried toriadau i wasanaethau cyhoeddus er mwyn osgoi diffygion yn eu cyllidebau. Yn achos Ceredigion, mae’r cyngor yn wynebu tua £5 miliwn o ddiffyg, ac yn ystyried codi treth cyngor o hyd at 14%.
Ydych chi’n cytuno gyda mi a fy nghyfoedion ym Mhlaid Cymru, felly, ei bod hi’n amhosib cyfiawnhau’r ffaith bod cynghorau de-orllewin Cymru yn anfon dros £100,000 dros y ffin i Drysorlys Prydain a’r teulu brenhinol bob blwyddyn, a dylid dechrau’r broses o drosglwyddo cyfrifoldeb dros y Ystâd y Goron i Gymru ddechrau cyn gynted â phosibl?
Featured image via the Canary
