Time for Parliament to abolish Crown Estate

Published: 28 October, 2010

• THE Peabody Trust, a large London housing association, has now been named as the prospective buyer of the four London residential estates of affordable rented homes for key workers – Cumberland Market (Camden), Millbank (Pimlico), Victoria Park (Hackney/ Bethnal Green) and Lee Green, some 1,200 homes. 

It seems that the sale price is lower than had been expected as a result of the conditions to be imposed by the Crown Estate following wide spread opposition to a sale. One question remains – the identity of the bank that has the “gall” to provide financial support when productive businesses need such support?

The sale of these estates and small farms in Cumbria appear to be a consequence of the strategy “Going for Gold”, so declared by the second commissioner and chief executive, Roger Bright. 

The fact that it constitutes an “abandonment” of the Crown Estate’s 150-year social commitment to the needs of communities, and contributing to the fabric of society in general, is ignored. 

The trust of tenants in the stewardship and principles of the commissioners of the Crown Estate has evaporated. 

Nothing in the Crown Estate Act 1961 can justify a sale.

The Queen, as the “nominal” owner of the Crown Estate is frequently named by as the seller of properties owned by the Crown Estate, and that the Queen can expect to receive millions of pounds in revenue from rents charged for the use of the seabed and some 50 per cent of the country’s foreshore.  

In reality, the Queen has no power to interfere with the Crown Estate’s management, or influence parliament as monarchs were once able to do when parliament was in the hands of aristocrats, landed gentry and city merchants. 

Parliament provides for the maintenance of the monarchy – The Civil List – and this is not related to the surplus revenue obtained by the Crown Estate.

It surely must be time for parliament to abolish the Crown Estate. 

Selling properties in central London would raise some £4billion for the national debt. 

Other properties and “rights” being transferred to government departments and local authorities occurred with woods and forests in 1924. 

The seabed and foreshore should belong to the state and energy-producing businesses encouraged to develop in the “national” interest. 

The Treasury would still gain substantial annual revenues.

BRYAN LATTER
Burrard Road, NW6