The Marine Planning System

Martyn Youell

Senior Marine Planner

MMO High level summary – 2 years on

― New chairman appointed – Sir Bill Callaghan

― CEO appointed – James Cross

― Government spending review with 20% reduction in overall budget by

operating year 4

― Manpower has risen from 196 in 2010 to 267 today, will increase to 330

― Planning increasing from 17 to 22

― Licensing increasing from 33 to 46 with more to come

― MMO has delivered on corporate plan for reporting period 2010/11 and is on

target to deliver this reporting period

First Marine Plan Areas Selected – where and why?

Components of Planning

1. Stakeholders

Stakeholder engagement

• Statements of Public Participation (SPP)

- informs people of how and when they can become involved, engagement opportunities, and what we will do with responses

- published April 2011

- signed off by Government (Secretary of State, Defra)

• Nationwide stakeholder engagement, e.g.

- Government departments, Public service bodies

- Sector representative bodies, relevant fora

• Local stakeholder engagement

- Links with Marine Conservation Zone projects, R3 wind development

- Work with existing partnerships

- Individual interests and groups

2. Data and Evidence Marine Planning Portal

• Online tool for stakeholders to interact with the planning

process.

Through the portal the user can...

• View existing data from the

evidence base

• Comment on the data we are

using

• Suggest a new dataset to the

planning team

http://planningportal.marinemanagement.org.uk

3. Policy

• National e.g. Marine Policy Statement

• Local Authority Development Plans

• Other e.g. strategies

Progress on marine plans

― October 2010: selected the first two marine areas for

the production of marine plans – East inshore and

offshore

― April 2011: Planning begun – Statement of Public

Participation

― February 2012: published the Evidence & Emerging

Issues Report ― Data and information associated with plan areas

― Information and issues collated from stakeholders

― Assessment of national plans and policies

― Assessment of local plans and policies

― April 2012: Draft Vision & Objectives Report

― Autumn 2012: submission of draft plan to Government

Fisheries context

― High social and economic value locally

― Export value of shellfisheries highlighted

― Displacement from grounds is of high

concern to the sector

― Call for stock monitoring in response to

the effects of climate change

Key Issues

• Competition for space

• Access to grounds

• Environmental effects of trawling and

displacement

• Coastal community benefits

Key messages from ‘Draft Vision &

Objectives for East Marine Plans’

report

Aquaculture Context

― East inshore has high proportion of

England’s aquaculture

― Locally important in economic value

― Growing industry – local food movements

― East area high potential for growth

Key Issues

• Potential for co-location

• Site availability

• Availability of investment

• Environmental quality

Key messages from ‘Draft Vision & Objectives for East Marine

Plans’ report

Plans will act and contribute in three distinct

ways

― Where there is good data and compelling

reasons the plans may be prescriptive

― Oil and gas fields of high potential

― Where data may not be robust or simply

because retaining flexibility is key we will add

value through signalling and guidance

― Work on cumulative effects

― For the first time gathering economic,

environmental and social data in one place

where it can be analysed

― We plan on gathering recreational data that will

help increase knowledge

Data & Analysis

Signalling

&

Guidance

Prescriptive

planning

Plan led regulation - bringing planning and

licensing together

― Plan led regulation streamlines the process of consenting when

applications are in accordance with the plan

― Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies use marine plans leading to more

efficient engagement

― Example is the coordinated approach to cumulative effects

― Plans lead to greater transparency of future scenarios with less issues

being left to ‘case by case’

― The granting of licences acts as an important feedback loop for the

marine plan, improving and developing the picture over time.

Reminder of changes in Marine Licensing

April 2011 changes

― FEPA and CPA replaced by Marine Licence

― Marine Licence now for the full life of a project

not just during construction

― New proportionate fees structure introduced

― Formal appeals process through the Planning

Inspectorate

― Front loaded discussion – pre application

― New IT means a better experience for

applicants, consultees and interested parties

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Pre application

Screening

Scoping

Investigation and preparation

Submit

Consult and review

Decision

Appeal

Better regulation

― We are committed to clear and

proportionate regulation

― We will ensure consistency in the

scientific advice we are given through an

evidence QA system

― The Red Tape Challenge – water and

marine theme

― Our public register is above and beyond

the basic standard

― All major cases are summarised on our

website, together with all correspondence

related to that case

MMO Decision Making Hierarchy

1. The MMO should ensure that its decisions meet statutory requirements under UK

and EU legislation.

2. The MMO should ensure that its decisions are consistent with its obligations under

international law.

3. The MMO should make decisions that are in accordance with the Marine Policy

Statement and the relevant Marine Plan.

4. Where the relevant legislation allows, the MMO should, wherever possible, make

an integrated assessment of environmental, social and economic issues in order to

contribute to the achievement of sustainable development.

Licensing performance

Application Fee Band Applications

received

No. of

consents granted

Duration of time to issue consents

Time frame Number

Total

average (weeks)

Band 1a

Tier 1 (Fast track)

59

140 107

0 - 5 weeks 59

4.7

5 - 10 weeks 39

10 - 13 weeks 7

Band 1b 81

13 - 20 weeks 2

20 - 30 weeks 0

30 - 40 weeks 0

Band 2a

Tier 2 (Routine)

105

130 67

0 - 5 weeks 5

10.1

5 - 10 weeks 36

Band 2b 16

10 - 13 weeks 15

13 - 20 weeks 8

Band 2c 9

20 - 30 weeks 2

30 - 40 weeks 1

Band 3 Tier 3

(Bespoke/Complex) 66 66 25 Too early 11.1

How we will improve it

― Closer working with SNCB’s on standard ‘repeatable’ licences

― Greater implementation of a risk based approach

― Focus our effort where it is needed

― Greater transparency on where a licence is in the process and what

action is currently taking place

― We will always note however that sometimes it does take time to work

through issues to achieve a sustainable result.

Still working on it…

- Marine Conservation Zones and Marine Licensing

- Conversations ongoing on the establishment of the point at which ‘material

consideration’ must be given to ‘potential’ MCZs (affects both planning and

licensing)

- Devolved Administrations

- Cross border working (including on harbour orders) requires further work to

streamline

- Instances where the desire to streamline has been there without the clarity of

how this streamlining happens in law

Keep in touch

planning@marinemanagement.org.uk 0191 376 2790

marine.consents@marinemanagement.org.uk 0300 123 1032

martyn.youell@marinemanagement.org.uk 0191 376 2528