• Enjoying Our Coast
• Managing Our Coast
• Coastal Defence
• Coastal Partnerships
• Current Consultations
• EU Marine Policy
• ICZM
• Marine and Coastal Access Act
• Marine Consents
• Marine management organisation
• Marine Spatial Planning
• Plans and Strategies
• Protected Areas
• Roles and Responsibilities
• Our Biodiversity
• Our Changing Coast
• Our Coastal Zone
• Our Economy and Industries
• Our Heritage

Resources

MFA Marine Environment Team

Marine Licensing Applications

Solent Forum Marine Consents Guide

Infrastructue Planning Commission

Marine Consents

Marine Management Organisation

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) administers a range of statutory controls that apply to marine works, including all construction, coastal defences, dredging and the disposal of waste materials at sea in waters around England for which responsibility is vested in the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.  You can view licence applications on the MMO's public register available on its website.

These controls are exercised under the following statutes:

• Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 Part II (Deposits in the Sea)
• Coast Protection Act 1949
• Telecommunications Act 1984
• Other legislation - such as local harbours acts (where the Secretary of State's approval is required for marine works).

In addition to the controls which the MMO administers, a developer may require a variety of other consents.

Infrastructure Planning Commission

The Infrastructure Planning Commission is an independent body which makes decisions on applications for nationally significant infrastructure projects. These are the large scale facilities that support the economy and vital public services. This includes railways, large wind farms, power stations, reservoirs, harbours, airports and sewage treatment works.  The MMO will also advise the IPC on marine spatial planning matters and on certain deemed consents.  The general public can have their views considered at the following stages of a development application.

1. During the public consultations on the draft NPSs.
2. When applications are being prepared for submission to the IPC – at this stage developers are required to consult with local communities about their proposals and have regard to views expressed.
3. During the IPC’s examination of applications – when individuals and groups who have registered their interest can submit evidence in writing.
4. Taking part in the open floor hearings chaired by IPC Commissioners during their examinations of proposals.

National Policy Statements

Ports around England and Wales will soon have a new planning framework to work in when considering large scale developments, due to the launch of the Government's new National Policy Statement (NPS) for the sector.  These Statements are provided for by the Planning Act 2008.  The Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC), also created under that Act, will be required (subject to certain statutory exceptions) to determine planning cases in accordance with the relevant NPS, once it has been ratified after consultation.  Under the present system, harbour developments are subject to harbour revision or empowerment orders under the Harbours Act 1964.  In some cases additional planning consents under Town and Country Planning legislation, and/or the Transport and Works Act, are required in parallel.  The new system will simplify applications by providing for these consents to be combined in one Development Consent Order.