Truro and Falmouth MP Sarah Newton has spoken in the House of Commons about the need to ensure a common sense approach to marine planning, and has obtained assurances from Environment Minister Richard Benyon on the future of the marine planning system.
Mrs Newton this week led a debate in Parliament on the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), the body responsible for marine planning and licensing.
Mrs Newton stressed the importance of ensuring that decisions on the future of the UK’s coast take full account of all available scientific evidence, and the views of local communities. In order to achieve this, Mrs Newton suggested two key changes to the way in which the MMO currently operates.
Mrs Newton first called for the MMO to be ‘enabled to extend the range of organisations and people that can provide scientific evidence to enable its independent decision making.’ This would she said ensure that the MMO had ‘access to the broadest and best possible evidence base’ before making important decisions.
The second key change suggested was for an appeals process to be introduced for marine planning decisions that will affect the future of costal communities. Mrs Newton stated that ‘Decisions of such magnitude would not be made on the land without an appropriate appeals process’.
Mrs Newton concluded by drawing the attention of members and the Minister to one such major marine decision currently affecting Falmouth, which demonstrates the need for public involvement in the decision making process.
This decision is the proposed inclusion of Fal Estuary Reference Area within the South West Marine Conservation Zone Network, an inclusion which residents have said could stop commercial and recreational maritime activity in the affected part of the Fal.
Responding for the Goverment, Environment Minister Richard Benyon MP thanked Mrs Newton for raising this important issue.
He assured Mrs Newton that, in regard to the MMO’s evidence taking process, ‘reviews of the performance of the MMO will ensure that it is taking all the best evidence available and is not only listening to the statutory conservation bodies but registering a serious attempt to widen its reach in terms of the advice it receives.’
Turning to Mrs Newton’s concerns about marine appeals, Mr Benyon confirmed that appeals of MMO decisions could take place, the marine appeals process being ‘closely aligned’ to that applying to planning decisions made on land.
Mr Benyon elaborated on this point in regard to Marine Conservation Zone Network proposals, stating that final decisions as to the Network would only be taken after a ministerial assessment of evidence, followed by a public consultation, followed by further assessment of evidence.
The full text of the debate can be accessed through the below link: