International MSP Symposium16th May 2012

Marine Planning in EnglandWhat are we learning?

Paul GillilandMarine Planning

Development Manager

Outline• What and why• Legislation and high level policy• Where and when • Costs and resourcing• Evidence, analysis, research• Stakeholder engagement• Defining key issues• Outputs/outcomes

• Challenges• Lessons

Why do we need marine planning?Overarching driver – Increasing and competing use of marine space and resources, impacting on the sustainability of the marine environment

Perceived benefits but also expectations

• Sustainable use of marine resources• Greater certainty for investors/developers• Improved basis for addressing cumulative effects• ‘Regional seas’ governance (ecosystem approach)• Proactive and forward planning• Plan for new activities and changing technologies• Framework for consistent decision making• Cohesion with coastal and terrestrial plans (ICZM)• Early involvement of stakeholders (“democratic deficit”)

Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 • Long lead in time and preparatory work• Supported by main political parties (commitment)

• Complex piece of legislation – Licensing, Fisheries, Nature Conservation, Coastal Access, Marine planning “be careful what you wish for”

• Marine Management Organisation (April 2010)• Planning, licensing, fisheries, conservation delivery • Cross-government ‘agency’ (£)• Dedicated ‘core’ planning team (long haul) + in

house support• Deliberately recruit from different backgrounds• New organisation!

The legal requirement for marine planning• Aim: contribute to and help deliver sustainable development.• Integrated approach (important message)

• across environmental, economic and social factors• across sectors (including interactions, policies)• with other plans (including terrestrial)

• Marine Policy Statement (MPS): the overarching policy framework for the UK marine area (UK Govt and Devolved Administrations)

• Marine Plans will translate the MPS into detailed policy and spatial guidance for each plan area (MMO, SoS)• All plan ‘areas’ (sub-divisions around the coast)• Guide and direct decision makers, including Licensing• No timetable prescribed but report/review every 3-6 years

Marine Policy Statement• High level framework which should ensure consistency

• 22 Goals (High Level Marine Objectives):• Achieving a sustainable marine economy• Ensuring a strong, healthy and just society• Living within environmental limits• Promoting good governance• Using sound science responsibly

• Strategic environmental, social and economic considerations

• Policy objectives for key activities/sectors• Generally broad (only explicit target is for renewables)• No a priori prioritisation to be done at plan level

Where and whenBoundaries• Limit of tidal influence to ‘EEZ’• Potentially very wide scope

and variation in level of detail

Overall timetable• Estimate 2 years for each plan

(2.5 if ‘examination’ required)• Assume two at a time• Complete first cycle by 2021• Evaluate ≤ 3 years Review?

Reassessed recently, end date unchanged but overlap (lead in time)

East marine plan areasTimeline (two years)• Dec 2010: Announce, prep• April 2011: Start• Feb 2012: Evidence & Issues• May: Draft Objectives/Vision• July: Options • Sept: draft plan to government• Jan 2013: consultation • April 2013: revised

Relentless share ‘lead’ role; more time to pause?

Developing whilst doing take longer the first time?

58,700 km2

Inshore and Offshore2 plans, 1 process (87%)

“Show me someone that’s never made a mistake and I’ll show you someone that’s never made anything” a difficult message to get over and work around

Resource planning : Costs (and Benefits)• ‘Impact Assessment’ of planning vs ‘do nothing’. Benefits:

• Best estimate: £487 million [$779m] over twenty years• Environmental benefits difficult to quantify• Savings to business sectors, e.g. activity costs

• Costs• £2.7 million [$4.3m] per plan (all elements, e.g. Staff > evidence

gathering > Sustainability Appraisal > consultation) • £0.54 million [$0.86m] per review (assumes 20% of original

costs) every six years

• Resources : core funding from UK government

• Too early to judge but for now £ seems less limiting than time• Demands may fluctuate over time but ‘same’ resource

Technical Evidence and analysis• National: Strategic Scoping Report

• The ‘big picture’ to set plan area in context• Includes analysis of potential future opportunities• Inform plan-level objectives (and priorities?)

• Research: Various gaps but timing a challenge• Co-location• Recreation interests: distribution• Cumulative effects• Socio-economic study: help to understand the impact of

marine planning on different types of coastal community

• East inshore and East offshore data & information• Substantial data collation /presentation

Technical data collation and GIS analysis• Building on existing projects, e.g.

MCZs, SEA, CP2

• Working with organisations & data sharing where possible

• Local stakeholders input:• Data, verification• On-line marine planning portal

• GIS analysis (iterative, simplify)• Methods• Integration

Stakeholder engagement – plan areas

• Statements of Public Participation (SPP)- informs people of how and when they can become involved- published April 2011- signed off by Government (Secretary of State, Defra)

• Local stakeholder engagement- Individual interests and groups- Work with existing partnerships, links to other projects (eg MPAs)- No formal bespoke structures or groups - Liaison officers + range of meetings, workshops, events

Participation and Consultation• December 2011 workshops

• Three locations, ~150 participants• Marine planning focus inc. ‘Key issues’ • Interactive, various ‘tasks’ inc. Futures• 90% positive feedback (84 returns)

• The process is as important as the product

• Different ways to communicate, e.g.• Drop in sessions• 3 D model

Getting to the point

• Evidence on Key activities, social, economic & environmental interests

• Emerging Issues• For sector delivery, other

sectors, and sustainability• Several hundred

• Vision and Objectives report• 58 ‘headline issues’

• Distil further• Stakeholders to refine?• More evidence for some?

We have Not got all the answers to everyone’s problems

Increase over time

Change over time?

Evidence Collation & Analysis

PlanningSignals & Guidance

PlanningPrescription & Decisions

Clarifying/Reassuring - Planning outputs/outcomes

Some headline lessons learnt• Political commitment is critical• Legislative basis almost certainly essential• (Dedicated planning body) with a core team is essential• A framework of principles, goals/objective and policies is a

good start, some prioritisation is even better• Need allocated resources preferably over a sustained period• Try to focus - on the key issues, prioritised evidence• Need a timetable but also some flexibility if possible

particularly in the early days• Stakeholder engagement - different means, be creative• Do NOT underestimate the challenge, however good your

planning it will probably take more time and more effort

www.marinemanagement.org.uk/marineplanning

Portal: planningportal.marinemanagement.org.uk

Email: planning@marinemanagement.org.uk

Marine Planning team LocalFlamborough Head to Skegness 01472 355112

The Wash to Weybourne 01502 573149Sheringham to Felixstowe 01502 573149

Marine Planning team Newcastle0191 376 2790