Even though everyone is familiar with the concept of land ownership, many people are surprised to learn that the seabed around the UK is also owned. It is The Crown Estate which owns virtually the entire seabed out to the 12 nautical mile territorial limit, including the rights to explore and utilise the natural resources of the UK continental shelf (excluding oil, gas and coal).
More recently the Energy Act 2004 vested rights to The Crown Estate to license the generation of renewable energy on the continental shelf within the Renewable Energy Zone out to 200nm.
We also own around 55% of the foreshore, the area between mean high and mean low water (spring tides in Scotland) and approximately half of the beds of estuaries and tidal rivers in the United Kingdom.
We do not, however, own the water column nor do we govern public rights such as navigation and marine fisheries.
Coastal and Offshore Management
Our small team of coastal, environmental and offshore specialists and support staff manage the entire marine estate from two main offices. Our English, Welsh and Northern Ireland interests are primarily managed from our London headquarters while management of the Scottish estate is managed from our Edinburgh office. The core team is also supported by our managing agents who undertake lease negotiations, valuation work and the full range of day to day management work on our behalf.
Further information and a map of the agents' areas of responsibility can be found by clicking on the following links:
The Coast
Our coastal dealings are many and varied including ports, moorings and wildfowling. Generally we do not sell areas of foreshore or seabed. Instead we grant leases or licences for works and activities, which currently number more than 2,000. Our main leaseholders are local authorities, ports and harbours, conservation bodies and statutory bodies such as:
Some 570 kilometres (21%) of foreshore is leased specifically for conservation purposes. A great deal more of the coastline is under protective ownership by way of leases to local authorities.
The Seabed
The Crown Estate, as owner of virtually all the seabed out to the 12nm limit, plays a vital role in the cables and pipelines business, offshore aggregate dredging and the development of offshore renewable energy.
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Stamp Duty Land Tax
Whilst tenants should seek their own legal advice, The Crown Estate refers tenants to the terms of Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs Stamp Duty Land Tax Manual – section headed ‘The Tax – FA03/S42’. Within that section of the manual is the following statement:
“The tax is limited to the acquisition of land situated in the UK, the boundary being the low water mark of every part of the UK which borders the sea.
It does not extend to the bed of territorial sea but piers, jetties and similar structures with one end attached to the UK do comprise part of the UK.”
Tenants should note that dealings may not be liable for stamp duty land tax if they relate exclusively to seabed and there is no structure connected to land above mean low water springs.
Consents
As a landowner we issue leases, licences and consents for activities and developments on our land, such as:
- Ports and harbour development
- Archaeological investigations and site investigation work
- Coastal protection and flood defence works
- Dredging and dumping of material from, and onto, the seabed
- Fish farming
- Metal detecting and filming on Crown Estate foreshore
- Offshore renewable energy projects.
Ports and harbours are fundamental to the UK economy, connecting communities and providing bases for trade and employment. The British Ports Association's Scottish Ports Committee has produced a brochure "Delivering Value" highlighting the importance of Scottish ports and their role in supporting the Scottish and UK economies.
As well as our landowners permission, many activities will also require statutory consents from government. More information on statutory requirements can be found on the websites of the Marine Fisheries Agency or, in Scotland, the Fisheries Research Services:
In Scotland most activities in navigable waters also require the consent of the Scottish Executive through their powers under the Coast Protection Act 1949. Further guidance can be found on the Scottish Executive website:
Marine Works in Scotland
In order to make use of Crown Estate foreshore or seabed in Scotland, there are simple application forms which need to be completed.
For more information, please follow the link to the marine works application forms section on our Scotland page.
Turnover
In 2007/08 the turnover for the marine estate was £41.9 million, which equates to 15.8% of the total for The Crown Estate. In terms of our turnover by activity this was as follows:
| Activity 2007/2008 | Turnover (£ million) |
| Dredging | 17.7 |
| Coastal | 11.3 |
| Cables/Pipelines | 10.0 |
| Fish Farms | 1.8 |
| Renewables | 1.1 |
An Important National Resource
We fully recognise that the coastal zone and continental shelf contain some of the United Kingdom's most important areas for conservation and protection, but there are also requirements for development, leisure use and commercial activities. As a landowner, we seek to maintain the highest standards by ensuring that management of these important areas is carried out in a responsible way with all necessary statutory consents, whilst complying with our obligations under The Crown Estate Act, to derive profit from our activities. We also fund research aimed at better understanding the impacts of commercial activities which in turn helps us to develop more responsible management practices.
Our science and research strategy and marine stewardship strategy group guide our long-standing programme of marine stewardship. This supports scientific research to underpin the marine and seabed industries we manage, practical community projects and other initiatives that improve the status and management of the marine estate.
Further Information
Newsletters
The Crown Estate produces a range of publications on our work. Please follow the links below for our latest marine newsletters.
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