The MMO have marine planners based around the English coast. Their role is to engage with you for the development, implementation, and monitoring of marine plans. You can find out who your local coastal planner is and their contact details here.
North East:
Amy, together with Evangeline Wilby from the MMO's Strategic Renewables Unit, facilitated an interactive MSP challenge game with members of Natural England. The session focused on the implications of the increasing activities at sea, in particular noise generated. Participants worked collaboratively and strategically within a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) to manage their allocated 'noise budget' and ensure it was not exceeded. Feedback indicated that the game enhanced participants understanding of marine planning and helped them draw relevant parallels with their own work.
East:
We welcome Char Lewis to the team as the new East Coastal Planner. Char has been actively introducing herself to stakeholders along the coast from Boston to Felixstowe, familiarising herself with the activities of the North Sea. Both Mark and Char have been busy attending stakeholder meetings and raising awareness of marine planning in preparation for the next stage of plan development.
South East
Marie has been strengthening her connections with external stakeholders as well as internal MMO teams. She has engaged in discussions with the Regional Fisheries Group in the East, sharing information about team roles and exploring potential collaboration on coastal activities. Marie facilitated an MSP challenge game with colleagues from the London office, focusing on the challenges facing the marine environment, that included Marine Protected Areas, aggregate extraction and fisheries access.
South:
Charlotte and Mae recently conducted a successful marine plan user session for the local catchment partnerships straddling the south and south west marine plan areas. The session aimed to enhance participants marine planning skills, with a focus on conservation and the unique challenges along the south and southwest coast. They received positive feedback and have been asked to hold another session for additional stakeholders, including Plymouth University, so watch this space!
South West:
Our south west coastal planners, Ellie and Mae, have been busy contributing to the South West Marine Ecosystems (SWME) group recently. They presented our approach to monitoring marine plans at the annual conference and authored a section of the South West Marine Ecosystems report. The report outlines the MMO's work during 2023, including a breakdown of marine license applications and wildlife licenses, insights into how indicators are utilized to measure the effectiveness of marine plans, and a summary of the Marine Plan Monitoring Surveys in the South West. If you missed the webinar and want to know more about our monitoring process, you can watch it here.
North West
In the North West, our coastal planner Chloe has been making significant progress in strengthening the connection between marine and terrestrial planning. She has been in discussions with Sefton Council to examine the policies in the North West Marine Plans and comparing them with policies in the Shoreline Management Plan. Making this comparative analysis ensures alignment in policy intent and direction, and thereby informing future Local Plan policies.