Three-year reports on the South Inshore and South Offshore Marine Plan
The three-year progress reports on the South Marine plans.
Documents
Details
These reports review the progress made in meeting the aims of the South Inshore and South Offshore Marine Plan and the UK Marine Policy Statement.
The south inshore marine plan area stretches from Folkestone in Kent to the River Dart in Devon. The south offshore marine plan area includes the area from 12 nautical miles out to the maritime borders with France and the Channel Islands. The South Marine Plan was adopted on 17 July 2018.
The South Marine Plan is a 20-year plan. Sections 54 and 61 of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 require matters that may impact the contextual landscape of marine planning and the marine plans themselves to be kept under review, with reports to be published every 3 years following plan adoption.
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO)’s approach to monitoring marine plans covers:
- context monitoring – an assessment of the legislative or regulatory changes that may affect the relevance of the marine plan
- process monitoring – an assessment of if, and how, the marine plan and its policies are being used
- outcome monitoring – an assessment of the effects and effectiveness of the plan policies, of the progress made towards securing the plan objectives, and where relevant, the contribution towards high level marine objectives (HLMOs)
Amending or replacing the South Marine Plan
The 2024 three-year report shows that the South Marine Plan remains broadly aligned to new and existing legislation and is becoming embedded within the planning and consenting process. The largest proportion of plan policies reported positive effects, resulting in the South Marine Plan showing positive progress towards 5 plan objectives. Some progress has been made towards the HLMOs, but more time is needed to be able to identify clear trends and assess the effects and effectiveness of specific policies.
Following advice from the MMO, the South Inshore and South Offshore Marine Plan will be kept and not changed or replaced at this time.
Marine planning
Marine planning is the approach to managing the seas around England introduced by the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009.
There are 11 marine plan areas in the England. Marine plans are intended to:
- inform and guide marine users and regulators
- manage the sustainable development of marine industries, such as wind farms and fishing
- help conserve and protect marine species and habitats
Marine plans contribute to the UK’s vision of clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse oceans and seas.