CONTENT
1. SCOPAC fully supports the evidence submitted
by the Local Government Association on behalf of the Regional
Coastal Groups and Maritime District Councils/Unitary Authorities.
2. SCOPAC welcomes the support it has received
from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in terms
of developing sustainable policies for coastal defence along the
central south coast of England.
3. SCOPAC believes strongly, based upon
its considerable experience of coastal issues, that the coastal
defence function can be delivered most effectively by local authorities
with their detailed knowledge of local coastal conditions; they
are able to assess coastal demands within the context of management
of the coastal zone as a whole, taking account of the wide range
of inter-connected issues that they currently deal with (eg as
coastal landowners, beach and esplanade management, public safety,
cliff stability, amenities and recreation, environmental health,
maritime archaeology, seaside town regeneration, countryside management
and oil spill response).
4. SCOPAC strongly supports the need for
close collaboration over the development of the full range of
coastal plans and strategies (for estuaries, harbours, coastal
zone management and coastal defence) in collaboration with other
agencies and consultees; for example the Environment Agency and
English Nature.
5. Constituent Members along the SCOPAC
coastline (Lyme Regis to Worthing including the Isle of Wight)
are working in partnership with other key agencies, thus seeking
to avoid a piecemeal approach to coastal defence. The work of
the Coastal Groups and coast protection authorities has been much
assisted by coast protection grant aid from the Ministry of Agriculture,
Fisheries and Food enabling the development of shoreline management
plans and coastal defence strategies. Enormous progress has been
made in terms of the understanding of coastal issues over the
last five years with the support of the Ministry, and a major
step forward has been achieved within the last two years.
6. The development of Coastal Groups and
preparation of shoreline management plans has assisted in fostering
a partnership approach between coastal protection authorities
and the Environment Agency. Such regular meetings have ensured
that a holistic approach has been adopted and a "sectoral
tendency" is avoided, thereby contributing towards integrated
coastal zone management.
7. The removal of the coastal defence function
from local authorities would greatly diminish their ability to
influence the co-ordination of plans for local sustainability,
and the loss of responsibility for coast protection would in turn
reduce the local authority's contribution (both technical and
financial) to a wide range of coastal initiatives.
8. SCOPAC believes that the establishment
of the Coastal Groups has been a remarkable success over the last
decade and if local authorities are deprived of an active role
in coastal defence, it is likely that the interests of engineers
within the coastal groups and other networks would be diminished
with a reduction in their effectiveness and responsiveness to
the detriment of Integrated Coastal Zone Management in the UK.
9. Recent advice from Department of the
Environment, Transport and Regions suggests the need for more
local accountability and for a greater local determination of
priorities; SCOPAC strongly supports this. This trend is demonstrated
by the creation of Regional Development Agencies and the partnering
of local authorities to develop a strategic agenda for their areas.
SCOPAC is particularly concerned with the proposal to transfer
responsibilities to an another body which would remove significant
influence from elected members within Maritime Districts, who
have particular experience of coastal problems.
10. SCOPAC does not believe that its members'
interests would be best served by a regional body which cannot
benefit from the detailed knowledge that is available locally.
The removal of responsibility to a regional agency would, therefore,
result in a significant reduction in the quality of knowledge
and information that could be input into a debate on priorities
for coastal protection works in the future.
11. SCOPAC believes that the Environment
Agency should continue to administer those functions where it
has a particular expertise (eg its current statutory Consultee
role with regard to planning and land drainage matters, and river
management) and that coastal defence matters should in turn be
left to experts within the local authorities and Coastal Groups.
12. SCOPAC believes that there is a case
for "status quo" as excellent collaboraton exists between
SCOPAC members as well as between adjacent Coastal Groups with
the aim of contributing towards integrated coastal zone management.
13. SCOPAC believes it is essential to involve
the Coastal Groups and their constituent authorities, in any new
structure proposed for the delivery of the coastal defence function.
SCOPAC believes, with its particular experience,
that it can assist the review process and will be pleased to do
so.
14 April 1998
