THE WELSH GOVERNMENT announced its new Welsh National Marine Plan on Tuesday, November 12. However, it will provide no extra resources to already over-stretched planning authorities to fund the extra workload imposed by it.
Councils and other planning authorities will be left to fund the Government’s grand vision from existing resources.
Speaking ahead of the launch of the Welsh National Marine Plan, Minister for the Environment Lesley Griffiths said the plan aims to ensure our seas are ‘abundant with life’ and can provide ‘clean, green, and safe energy’ for people across Wales for the next 20 years.
The Government hopes its plan will put Wales at the forefront of tackling climate change through renewable energy sources and help safeguard and manage important fishing stocks and aquaculture production. It claims harnessing natural assets will make a significant contribution to achieving the Welsh Government’s target of net zero emissions by 2050, whilst also protecting marine ecosystems and minimising the impact on the environment as the seas get busier.
The plan contains policies targeted to the key uses of Welsh seas from fishing, to tourism and recreation, ports and shipping, undersea electronic cables and the collection of sand for use in construction. These policies aim to ensure the coastline and abundant ecosystems work alongside developments, rather than compete for marine space.
The Welsh National Marine Plan will work in tandem with the forthcoming National Development Framework, which is also a 20-year plan.
The Welsh Government claims that the two plans will ensure strategic planning for both land and sea.
The plan also develops closer relationships with neighbouring countries to ensure the sustainability of the seas around Wales, particularly on cross border areas like the Severn and Dee estuaries.
From Tuesday (Nov 12), planning decisions by local authorities and other relevant bodies with the potential to affect the Welsh Marine Plan Area will need to be taken in consideration of the Welsh National Marine Plan.
Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths, said: “This is our first step in ensuring we utilise our seas to the best of their potential, without harming our marine and coastal environment.
“It’s important to point out this is a living, active plan, not a plan to be put on a shelf to gather dust and be forgotten.
“The far-reaching plan has been developed through extensive collaboration with those working in the marine sector and is a significant milestone in our ambitions for the sustainable management of our seas.
“This plan sends a clear message on how we are planning for a more prosperous and resilient Wales where our seas will be abundant with life, as well as providing us with clean, green, and safe energy that will enrich the lives of the people of Wales.”
Clare Trotman, the Marine Conservatory Society’s Policy and Advocacy Manager (Wales) said: “We welcome the first National Marine Plan for Wales. This marks a significant step in the management of Welsh waters, providing guidance to regulators and developers on how Welsh seas should be used over the next 20 years. The Marine Conservation Society has worked hard to ensure that this first plan recognises the need to protect wildlife and marine natural resources for future generations, and avoiding the growth of marine industry ‘at any cost’.
“The tough job now will be to ensure that the Plan is implemented and used by regulators and other marine users, and not left on a shelf to gather dust! Resource from the Welsh Government should, therefore, be provided to support understanding and use of the plan, as well as for monitoring and updating.”
The Herald asked the Welsh Government what extra resources it would provide to councils and other planning authorities to follow through on the policy’s aims and ensure local compliance with the demands of a policy made by the national government over such a long period.
A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “We have been working with local authorities and other decision-makers to ensure they are aware of developments within the Marine Plan and the implications this would have for them when the plan is adopted. The WNMP provides guidance to support existing regulatory processes and no additional funding is necessary to support implementation.”