South Coast next Marine Plan
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has announced that the coast and seas from Dover to the River Dart in Devon will be the second area in England to benefit from marine planning. This will obviously include the Solent and the peninsula coastline.
To read more follow this link to the MMO website.
Marine plans will inform and guide marine users and regulators, managing the sustainable development of marine industries, such as wind farms, shipping, marine aggregates and fishing, alongside the need to conserve and protect marine species and habitats and recognise leisure uses too.
The marine economy is currently worth more than £47 billion annually to the UK, and has the potential to increase significantly. We are the first country in the world to plan across all marine activities, for all our territorial waters, and the plan areas announced today are two of the 10 in total to be delivered by the MMO in the next decade.
Steve Brooker, the MMO’s Head of Marine Planning, said: “England’s South Inshore and South Offshore marine areas were chosen for their wide range of marine activities that need to co-exist in these busy waters. These marine areas are identified as environmentally sensitive so it is vitally important that new activities are introduced in a sustainable way, ensuring that social, environmental and economic implications are considered together.
“As the demand for space increases, so will the need for use of our seas as a key resource. This is an ideal time for marine planning to begin in these areas, to ensure there is a clear framework for sustainable development. ”
The MMO is accountable to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Caroline Spelman, who will approve each plan for consultation and adoption.
The views of all those with an interest in the South marine areas are vital to the plan making process, and the next step will be speaking to as many people as possible affected by these plans. A guide on how to get involved will be published before plan-making officially starts in early 2013.
Environment
The Manhood Peninsula Partnership was formed in recognition of the challenges the peninsula faces as a result of climate change and the increasing demands on its environment. By recognising the different issues the area faces, its assets and possibilities, and by valuing its distinct and almost unique character on the south coast, the MPP hopes to create opportunities and... Read More»
Nature and Conservation
The peninsula contains several internationally important nature conservation areas (see wildlife page). Extensive consultation took place to examine how the environmental character of the Manhood could be enhanced by the Medmerry managed realignment scheme and how it could benefit the local population, through sensitive management of habitat and tourism. The scheme has been successfully completed and is now managed... Read More»
Wildlife
The Manhood Peninsula is an incredible area with a wealth of wildlife, featuring plant and animal habitats of global rarity. The peninsula has areas that are surrounded by ‘Sites of Special Scientific Interest’ (SSSI) at Bracklesham Bay, Chichester Harbour and Pagham Harbour Local Nature Reserve. Many of these sites are internationally important for nature conservation, harbouring a diverse range... Read More»