So - we're going to have a marine planning system with two pilot areas off the NE coast (prosaically named East Inshore and Eats Offshore). Sounds fine and dandy, doesn't it? Afterall - there's a lot going on out at sea - oil & gas rigs, cable laying, pipework, wind farms, fishing, shipping, sailing and the odd madman up to some sort of stunt. Shouldn't it all be organised?
Steve Brooker, head of the Marine Management Organisation's marine planning, said: "As a country, we can .... take informed decisions about the development of our sea area and our priorities, based on shared understanding, a common baseline and sound evidence." The MMO said it was the first organisation in the world to develop an integrated planning system for the sea "mirroring the terrestrial planning regime, which has, over 60 years, become an established and trusted mechanism for integrating and balancing land use". Hmmm - I've had to deal with the terrestrial planning regime, albeit only at a local level of late, and it can be a nightmare of mistakes, illogical decision making, obfuscation, incoherent application of policies and bureaucratic bungling. Hopefully these aspect won't be mirrored!
Marine planning activities will be driven by the Marine Policy Statement which should fully see the light of day in spring 2011 (consultation on the draft has recently closed). So - don't hold your breath.
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