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last mo.

Duchy of Cornwall Waives Community Rents as Lancaster Reviews NHS Leases

The move follows investigations that revealed millions in tax-free profits from public bodies and community groups.

The Duchy of Cornwall makes £600 a year from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution for permission to use the prince’s beaches in St Mary’s in the Isles of Scilly and elsewhere
William and the King have made millions of pounds a year in tax-free profits by charging for the use of land
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Overview

  • Under Prince William’s leadership, the Duchy of Cornwall has formally adopted a policy to waive rents for grassroots community tenants and offer up to 50% discounts to active charity tenants on duchy land.
  • The estate will maintain significant charges to government departments, including a £1.5 million annual lease for HMP Dartmoor and fees for Ministry of Defence training sites.
  • The Duchy of Lancaster has begun an active review of its rental agreements, focusing on an NHS lease that has charged over £11 million to park ambulances in a London warehouse.
  • Both duchies benefit from a Treasury memorandum granting special tax-exempt status, exempting them from capital gains and corporation taxes and compulsory purchase orders.
  • Media investigations by The Sunday Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches prompted the reforms and have driven calls for greater transparency around voluntary tax payments by King Charles and Prince William.