Manhood Peninsula Partnership > News > Southern Marine Plan « you are here

Southern Marine Plan

Southern Marine Plan
Photo copyright Rik Wright

The South Marine Plan is the second English marine plan to be adopted. It covers an area of around 20,000 square kilometres of inshore and offshore waters across 1,000 kilometres of coast line from Folkestone to the river Dart. It is one of the busiest shipping channels in the world, with significant numbers of freight and passenger transport as well as military activity with almost two thirds of Royal Navy ships stationed at Portsmouth. This intense activity and shipping takes place alongside 60 marine protected areas, including nine marine conservation zones and a UNESCO world heritage site. It is one of the most complex and used areas of the English coast line.

As with land-use planning, marine planning is a statutory requirement. A marine plan becomes a statutory consideration in all relevant planning decisions once it is published for public consultation. The South Marine Plan will help ensure that the right activities happen in the right place and in the right way within the marine environment. It provides a framework that will shape and inform decisions over how the areas’ waters are developed, protected and improved over the next 20 years.

Please follow this link to read more about the South Marine Plans

1950's Selsey sea defences

1950's Selsey sea defences

Sea defences have been required in the Manhood Peninsula for many years. A great deal of work was needed following a particularly bad storm in December 1951 which wrecked houses along the Selsey sea front, and led to their subsequent demolition. Following is a gallery of images courtesy of Royal Haskoning, the Coastal Engineering Consultant for Chichester District, showing the coastline and sea defences evolve... Read More»

Coastal Management

Coastal Management

A large part of the Manhood Peninsula is less than 5m above sea level and at risk from flooding, both inland and coastal. It is likely that climate change will increase this risk, through rising sea levels, rising water tables and increased precipitation intensity. Drainage is an increasing problem on the peninsula as the existing ditches are proving inadequate... Read More»

Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM)

Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM)

The intial step in exploring ICZM within the Coastal Change Pathfinder Project involved developing a working partnership between residents, employers, coastal users and local government. The objective was to achieve sustainability in the face of climate change and consequent coastal change. The following approaches were pursued: · Establishment of an ICZM group comprised of MPP members, local businesses, marine user... Read More»