2 Background to the Marine Policy
Statement and Marine Planning
Marine Policy Statement
6. At present, development in the UK's marine area
is carried out on an ad hoc, consent-led basis, with individual
licensing decisions taken as and when required. Defra argues that
this system "is inconsistent and fails to fully consider
the cumulative impact of decisions taken on the environment. It
is also considered to be a burden to both regulators and industry
and can act as a barrier to economic growth."[6]
The marine planning system introduced under the Marine and Coastal
Access Act 2009 is intended to promote a more strategic, long-term
approach to marine development.
7. The Marine Policy Statement will provide the overarching
policy framework for planning in the UK's marine area. Individual
regional Marine Plans will sit underneath the MPS and will provide
detailed policy and spatial guidance relevant for each plan area.
8. The draft MPS sets out the role of the MPS within
the marine planning system and the way that it is intended to
interact with existing planning regimes, the vision for the UK
marine area, the high level approach to marine planning (including
the High Level Marine Objectives) and the general principles for
decision making. The draft MPS also includes the policy objectives
for the key activities taking place in the marine environment
(for example fisheries, tourism, shipping and energy production)
and their associated pressures and impacts. Defra has explained
that it has not sought comments on the policy objectives themselves
as they "reflect existing policies developed through separate
consultation processes".[7]
The draft MPS is accompanied by an Appraisal of Sustainability
(incorporating a Strategic Environmental Assessment), a Habitats
Regulations Assessment, an Equality Impact Assessment Screening
Report and an Impact Assessment.
Marine Planning
9. The Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 divides
UK waters into marine regions with an inshore and offshore region
under each of the four Administrations. Responsibility for planning
in each region belongs to 'Marine plan authorities' (with the
exception of the Scottish and Northern Ireland inshore waters
which are or will be covered by separate legislation). Table 1
shows the responsible marine plan authorities for each region.
Table 1: Responsible
marine plan authorities in the UK[8]
| Responsible marine plan authority
|
| Region
| Inshore (0-12 nautical miles)
| Offshore (12-200 nautical miles)
|
| England |
Secretary of State
| Secretary of State
|
| Wales | Welsh Ministers (with the agreement of Secretary of State if the plan affects non-devolved matters)
| Welsh Ministers (with agreement of Secretary of State)
|
| Northern Ireland
| (To be made under Separate legislation)
| Department of the Environment in Northern Ireland (with agreement of Secretary of State)
|
| Scotland |
Marine (Scotland) Act 2010)
| Scottish Ministers (with the agreement of Secretary of State)
|
10. In England the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) will be
responsible for producing marine plans for English waters. Defra
has carried out a separate consultation on a marine planning system
for England which was conducted in parallel to the consultation
on the MPS.[9] The consultation
document provides guidance for the MMO on how marine planning
will be implemented in England.
11. Defra provided further details about how it is
envisaged that this will work in practice in its written evidence:
The Secretary of State is the marine plan authority
for English inshore and offshore regions, but the development
of Marine Plans in these regions has been delegated to the MMO.
The Secretary of State must agree each Plan at the consultation
stage and before it can be finally adopted. Decisions must then
be taken in accordance with the plan by all public authorities,
or reasons given why not." [10]
12. The MMO has announced that planning in the first
two Marine Plan areas (East inshore and East offshore) will begin
in April 2011[11]. It
is expected that these plans will take about 2 years to produce,
with full marine plan coverage expected to be achieved by 2021.
[12]
Figure 1 shows England's marine plan areas.
Figure 1: Marine plan areas for England[13]
The North West area is shown as a single colour divided
by a dashed line to reflect the recommendation that the two Plans
here be prepared under a single process.
6 Ev 12 Back
7
UK Marine Policy Statement: A draft for consultation, p
5, Defra, July 2010, www.defra.gov.uk Back
8
Ev 13 Back
9
Consultation on a marine planning system for England, Defra
consultation paper, July 2010, www.defra.gov.uk Back
10
Ev 13 Back
11
www.marinemanagement.org.uk/marineplanning Back
12
www.marinemanagement.org.uk/marineplanning Back
13
Consultation on a marine planning system for England, Defra,
p13 Back
| 
