Using Marine Plans
Source: gov.uk (2025-05-06)

Guidance note to show how users, decision-makers and applicants could apply marine plans and use the Explore Marine Plans service

- Using marine plans (authorisation and enforcement decisions) (#Enforcement)
- Using marine plans (all other decisions) (#Decisions)
- Common Issues with Marine Plan Policy Assessments (#Common)
- A guide to using the Explore Marine plans service (#Explore)
- How to use marine plans (#plans)
- Marine Planning: A Practical Guide for Local Authorities (#local)
Enforcement and authorisation decisions: S58(1)

These three documents are aimed at marine plan users (applicants and decision-makers) related to section 58(1) of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 whereby all authorisation or enforcement decision must be made in accordance with the appropriate marine policy documents. They take hypothetical examples following the development of a proposal, through a marine plan policy assessment for a marine licence application to a licensing decision. They complement and illustrate the guidance provided in the marine plan documents. They each use the East, South and North East Marine Plans respectively as their appropriate marine policy document.

While focussed on the marine licensing process, the MMO recommends a similar approach to marine plan policy assessment be utilised by public authorities when taking decisions on applications for their s58(1) authorisations that affect the marine area (eg planning consents by local planning authorities).

These documents use hypothetical examples of marine plan policy assessment, but do not provide step-by-step instructions. If you would like to provide feedback on the documents please email: xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx)

Published: November 2024

Other (Non enforcement or authorisation) decisions: S58(3)

These two documents are aimed at public authorities taking all other decisions related to section 58(3) of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. These are decisions which are not enforcement or authorisation based, but which relate to the exercise of any function capable of affecting the whole or any part of the UK marine area. Such decisions must have regard to the appropriate marine policy documents. They take hypothetical examples to show how a local planning authority can use marine plans as part of local plan development. They complement and illustrate the guidance provided in the marine plan documents. They each use the South and North East Marine Plans respectively as their appropriate marine policy document.

While focussed on local plans other public authorities will also find this document useful as a guide to the type of decisions they take pursuant to section 58(3) of MCAA.

These documents use hypothetical examples of marine plan policy assessment, but do not provide step-by-step instructions. If you would like to provide feedback on the documents please email: xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx)

Published: November 2024

Video: Marine plan policy assessment in decision-making

Understand marine plan-led decision-making in English waters. The video is aimed at applicants, decision-makers and other marine plan users, and gives an overview on marine plan policy assessment (MPPA), using marine licensing as an example. The video details the benefits of using marine plans in decision-making and highlights best practice for applicants when completing a MPPA.

Watch the video on YouTube (https://youtu.be/qimQe7bo1OQ)

If you would like to provide feedback on the video, or have any questions, please email: xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx).

Common Issues with Marine Plan Policy Assessments

This document is aimed at marine plan users (applicants and decision-makers) related to section 58(1) of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 whereby all authorisation or enforcement decision must be made in accordance with the appropriate marine policy documents. The hypothetical examples will use the South Marine Plan as the appropriate marine policy document and will indicate some of the main issues identified in completion of effective marine plan policy assessment. However, the approach described can be applied to any marine plan and authorisation under s58(1). It complements the guidance provided in the marine plan documents and other published MMO guidance on this page.

These documents use hypothetical examples of marine plan policy assessment, but do not provide step-by-step instructions. If you would like to provide feedback on the documents please email: xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx)

Published: November 2024

Explore Marine Plans

This presentation is aimed at marine plan users (applicants and decision makers), it takes readers on a walkthrough of how to use Explore Marine Plans.

Explore Marine Plans (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ti0Q3U2NMc8).

The presentation demonstrates the functionality of EMP. It provides step-by-step instructions. If you would like to provide feedback on the document, please email xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx)

Published February 2021

Using marine plans

This presentation is a guide for decision-makers showing how marine plans are used as part of a plan-led management system.

plan led management system (https://youtu.be/iXUCS49_x6M)

It includes information on decisions which conform to Section 58 of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009, and how marine plans are monitored and reviewed. If you would like to provide feedback on the document, please email: xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx)

Marine Planning: A Practical Guide for Local Authorities

This guide for local authorities (https://draft-assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/673b062772f19089dfdade6a/Marine_Planning_-_A_guide_for_local_councils_Clean_Accessible.pdf) provides an overview of marine plans and the marine planning system. It includes information on how marine planning and land-use planning support each other, how the two systems integrate and how the marine plans should be used.

For more information email the marine planning team (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx)

Published November 2024