Crown estate
[edit] Introduction
The Crown Estate is the property portfolio owned by the crown and is one of the largest property estates in the United Kingdom. It belongs to the reigning monarch, but cannot be sold and is not the private property of the monarch. As a whole, the estate dates back to the time of the Norman Conquest and today it exists under The Crown Estate Act 1961. This act declared that the estate is managed by a board who has a duty to:
'…maintain and enhance its value and the return obtained from it, but with due regard to the requirements of good management' (ref. The Crown Estate Act 1961).
The Crown Estate is run by The Crown Estate Commissioners board and their staff. Any surplus revenue is paid annually to the Treasury and is formally accountable to parliament.
Portfolio:
The Crown Estate includes a diverse portfolio of assets around the United Kingdom.
- Regent Street: almost the entire freehold.
- St James's: nearly 50% of the buildings in the St James's area.
- Regional: including 16 retail parks, two leisure schemes and interests in three shopping centres.
The energy and infrastructure portfolio includes:
- Offshore wind energy: major role in the development of offshore wind energy.
- Marine aggregates: predominant interest in the extraction of marine aggregates but also in salt and potash.
- Cables and pipelines: established part of the business and a focus on maintaining the importance of the UK as a key landing point for submarine telecoms.
- Wave and tidal: commitment to successfully exploiting wave and tidal resources.
- Minerals potash: hold the rights for the seabed potash deposits.
- Carbon capture and storage: working to identify how carbon storage beneath the seabed can help meet carbon emissions targets.
- Natural gas storage: hold the rights for gas storage within the Gas Importation and Storage Zone.
- Onshore renewables.
The coastal portfolio includes:
- Aquaculture: promotion of the aquaculture industry.
- Moorings and marinas: includes over 17,000 licensed moorings leased to relevant local bodies.
- Marine stewardship fund: supporting community initiatives.
- Metal detecting: Permitting of metal detecting on the foreshore.
- Agriculture - Livestock and arable farming covering around 106,000 hectares.
- Forestry - including 10,000 hectares principally in Somerset and Moray.
- Minerals - own the rights to extract minerals covering 115,500 hectares.
- Tourism - work to encourage growth in visitor economy.
- Development - progressing strategic land opportunities.
- Rural residential - diverse portfolio of homes including listed buildings and new builds.
The Windsor portfolio includes:
- Windsor Great Park.
- The Royal Landscape: a popular area which includes Virginia Water lake, two gardens and a landscape of woodland glades and forest rides.
- Forestry.
- Residential and commercial lettings.
See also: Crown land.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
Featured articles and news
Do you take the lead in a circular construction economy?
Help us develop and expand this wiki as a resource for academia and industry alike.
Warm Homes Plan Workforce Taskforce
Risks of undermining UK’s energy transition due to lack of electrotechnical industry representation, says ECA.
Cost Optimal Domestic Electrification CODE
Modelling retrofits only on costs that directly impact the consumer: upfront cost of equipment, energy costs and maintenance costs.
The Warm Homes Plan details released
What's new and what is not, with industry reactions.
Could AI and VR cause an increase the value of heritage?
The Orange book: 2026 Amendment 4 to BS 7671:2018
ECA welcomes IET and BSI content sign off.
How neural technologies could transform the design future
Enhancing legacy parametric engines, offering novel ways to explore solutions and generate geometry.
Key AI related terms to be aware of
With explanations from the UK government and other bodies.
From QS to further education teacher
Applying real world skills with the next generation.
A guide on how children can use LEGO to mirror real engineering processes.
Data infrastructure for next-generation materials science
Research Data Express to automate data processing and create AI-ready datasets for materials research.
Wired for the Future with ECA; powering skills and progress
ECA South Wales Business Day 2025, a day to remember.
AI for the conservation professional
A level of sophistication previously reserved for science fiction.
Biomass harvested in cycles of less than ten years.
An interview with the new CIAT President
Usman Yaqub BSc (Hons) PCIAT MFPWS.
Cost benefit model report of building safety regime in Wales
Proposed policy option costs for design and construction stage of the new building safety regime in Wales.
Do you receive our free biweekly newsletter?
If not you can sign up to receive it in your mailbox here.