Orkney Island Council and Crown Estate Scotland (CES) have unveiled further details of a ground-breaking project aimed at giving Orkney islanders greater say in decisions about the use of the seabed around them.

The arrangement involves both organisations working closely to evaluate new applications for agreements on the seabed surrounding Orkney, ensuring key decisions are informed by the priorities of those who live and work nearby, CES have said.

This pilot programme is part of a long-term commitment by Crown Estate Scotland to ensure communities have a greater say in managing the land and property that makes up the Scottish Crown Estate.

Photo by Ryan Denny

Commencement of the operational phase

Whilst Crown Estate Scotland remains the primary contact for tenants and reserves authority for decisions about assets that it manages on behalf of Scottish Ministers, the new Orkney-specific model will ensure that local issues and sensitivities are heard and factored into final decisions where they relate to the Scottish Crown Estate.

Applications will be checked by Orkney Islands Council’s dedicated team against key strategic documents, including the Orkney Islands Council Plan, the Local Development plan, the National Marine Plan, Pilot Pentland Firth Orkney Waters Marine Spatial Plan and developing Orkney Regional Marine Plan and the National Islands Plan.

The new practices relate only to new applications and renewals for seabed agreements, with no impact on existing agreements. A fundamental driver is that Orkney Islands Council will work in tandem with existing Crown Estate Scotland procedures to minimise administration.

Findings and experiences from the operational, or demonstration phase of the Pilot will help inform any future proposals for local management projects elsewhere in Scotland.

More details about seabed agreements in the Orkney Marine Region can be found here and information on Crown Estate Scotland’s local management plans can be found here.