CONTENT
1. Portsmouth City Council fully supports
the evidence submitted by the Local Government Association on
behalf of the Regional Coastal Groups and Maritime District Councils/Unitary
Authorities.
2. Portsmouth City Council welcomes the
support it has received from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries
and Food in terms of developing sustainable policies for the coastal
zone.
3. Portsmouth City Council strongly believes,
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 land owners, beach and esplanade management,
public safety, amenities and recreation, environmental health,
commercial port management, maritime archaeology, seaside town
regeneration and oil spill response).
4. Portsmouth City Council 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. In 1985 a conference was organised on
"Problems Associated with the Coastline", and this led
to the establishment of SCOPAC (Standing Conference on Problems
Associated with the Coastline) as the first "Regional"
coastal group in the UK.
Coastal Groups provide a forum for discussion
of coastal issues on a strategic basis, and since SCOPAC was established,
the whole of the coastline of England and Wales (and now part
of the coastlines of Scotland and Northern Ireland) is covered
by Coastal Groups, their boundaries largely based upon natural
"sediment cells". The Coastal Groups provide a valuable
link between local and central government and assists in ensuring
that coastal issues can be looked at on a strategic basis.
6. SCOPAC is unique amongst these Coastal
Groups by commissioning scientific research of regional interest
(research to the value of £500,000 has been undertaken over
the last 10 years) and by operating a two tier system comprising
a "Full Conference" which involves both elected members
and officers, as well as a "Technical Officers' Working Group".
7. 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.
8. Portsmouth City Council 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. Portsmouth City Council 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.
12. Portsmouth City Council believes that
the Environment Agency should continue to administer those functions
where it has a particular expertise (eg its current statutory
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 local authorities and Coastal Groups.
13. Recent advice from the Department of
the Environment, Transport and Regions suggests the need for more
local accountability and for a greater local determination of
priorities, and Portsmouth City Council 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.
Portsmouth City Council is particularly concerned
with the proposal to transfer responsibilities to another body
which would remove significant influence from the elected members
of the City Council.
14. Portsmouth City Council believes that
there is a case for "status quo" as excellent collaboration
already exists between all parties with the aim of achieving integrated
coastal zone management.
15. Portsmouth City Council 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 and will be pleased to assist any
review process.
15 April 1998