Scottish Crown Estate: strategic management plan

Delivering the Vision

45. Devolution of the management of the Scottish Crown Estate creates significant opportunities for local communities and industry. This includes enhancing the financial, social, economic and environmental benefits that we can obtain from the assets, and ensuring decisions are taken in Scotland based on Scottish priorities in a transparent and inclusive way.

46. Scottish Ministers have developed a vision for the Scottish Crown Estate, which is based on the following principles:

“The Scottish Crown Estate is managed sustainably, responsibly and fairly, and in a transparent and inclusive manner, to deliver long term financial and wider social, economic and environmental wellbeing benefits for Scotland and its communities.”

47. To support our vision, we have developed a set of objectives, priorities and policies in relation to the Scottish Crown Estate, which this Plan must deliver over the next five years. The purpose and legal framework for the Scottish Crown Estate have guided the development of the objectives, priorities and policies in relation to the Scottish Crown Estate but these have also been designed to maximise alignment and contribution to Scottish Ministers’ wider objectives, priorities and policies including opportunities to support the NPF.

48 This Plan sets out how the management of the Scottish Crown Estate contributes to the Scottish Government’s central purpose and will build on the policy direction established through the Act and existing commitments. The Plan also builds on specific Scottish Government policies relevant to the management of the Scottish Crown Estate. Scottish Ministers will continue to take account of all these existing commitments in policy and decision-making and encourage those who take decisions affecting the Scottish Crown Estate to do likewise.

49. The Plan provides strategic direction for the management of the Scottish Crown Estate and will also be a key reference point across the Scottish Government and beyond. It will therefore help to ensure that decisions in relation to the management of the Scottish Crown Estate are influenced by a common vision and objectives for sustainable management, thus optimising the contribution which the assets can make to achieve sustainable and inclusive economic growth.