Policy paper

Marine planning: East Marine Plans three-year progress reports

Three-year progress reports on the East Marine Plans.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and Marine Management Organisation
• Published: 31 March 2017
• Last updated: 28 March 2023 — See all updates

This was published under the 2016 to 2019 May Conservative government

Documents

Three-year report on the East Marine Plans (2 April 2020 to 1 April 2023)

PDF, 125 KB, 8 pages

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Three-year report on the East Marine Plans (2 April 2017 to 1 April 2020)

PDF, 1.61 MB, 89 pages

Three-year report on the East Marine Plans (2 April 2014 to 1 April 2017)

PDF, 2.07 MB, 19 pages

Details

These reports review progress made in meeting the aims of the East Inshore and Offshore Marine Plans and the UK Marine Policy Statement.

The East Marine Plans’ inshore area has a coastline that stretches from Flamborough Head in Yorkshire to Felixstowe town in Suffolk. The offshore area covers from 12 nautical miles out to maritime borders with the Netherlands, Belgium and France. The East Marine Plans were adopted on 1 April 2014.

The East Marine Plans are 20 year plans, so it is important that they are regularly assessed. As with all marine plans, the East Marine Plans are monitored and reviewed every three years, looking at the:

• effects of policies in the marine plan
• effectiveness of those policies in securing plan objectives
• progress towards achieving any objectives set out for that region in a marine plan and the Marine Policy Statement

Replacing the East Marine Plans

The 2023 report shows that the East Marine Plans’ specific plan policies are having a positive effect. It also identified some limitations and further improvements. Following advice from the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), the East Marine Plans will be replaced.

Replacing the plans will improve how they meet the goal of “clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse oceans and seas”. It will also help consider the challenges and opportunities that the competing demands on our seas bring. The MMO will develop drafts of the revised East Marine Plans. They will use the marine planning process and consult at the appropriate time.

Marine planning

Marine planning is the approach to managing the seas around England introduced by the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. There are 11 marine plan areas in the UK. Marine plans are intended to:

• inform and guide marine users and regulators
• manage the sustainable development of marine industries, such as wind farms and fishing
• help conserve and protect marine species and habitats

Marine plans contribute to the UK having clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse oceans and seas.

Published 31 March 2017
Last updated 28 March 2023 + show all updates

1. 28 March 2023

   Added the 2023 East Marine Report.

2. 26 March 2020

   Added the 2017 to 2020 three year report.

3. 31 March 2017

   First published.