CONCERNS are being voiced over the Scottish Crown Estate Bill, highlighted this week by members of NFU Scotland’s Crown Estate tenants working group giving evidence to the environment climate change and land reform committee in the Scottish Parliament.

The Bill, which follows the devolution of the Crown Estate to the Scottish Parliament, will introduce a framework for its management, with powers to devolve individual assets to other managers such as local authorities and local communities on a case by case basis.

The NFUS group, which comprises two agricultural tenants from each of the Crown's four rural estates, used the evidence session on the Bill to reinforce its calls for the majority of the estate to be retained and managed at a national level.

NFUS legal and technical policy manager Gemma Cooper, who also gave evidence at the session on behalf of the union, said: “Our Crown Estate tenant members are generally encouraged by the content of the Bill and it was important that the tenants were able to feed directly in to the political process that will establish the future management regime for the Scottish Crown Estate.

“During the session, it was emphasised that Crown Estate tenants feel strongly that national management is a sound way forward, and their experience of this so far has been generally positive," said Ms Cooper.

“Their wish is for the new-look Scottish Crown Estate to be a showcase for Scotland, and one which provides them with a stable and secure environment in which to operate their farm businesses. They are extremely encouraged by the steps already taken by Crown Estate to engage with them, and their wish is to see this formalised in the new Crown Estate structures.

“The group does however remain concerned about the possible ability for powers over the rural estates to be devolved to local authorities, on the basis that they are unlikely to have the competence to manage assets such as farms," she suggested.

“They are of the same mind in relation to community management. However, given the structures provided in the Bill and the recently published asset transfer pilot document, they have been given some level of comfort that any transfer must be based on solid business plans.”