Coastal Planners across England continue to support marine planning, stakeholder engagement, and future skills development. The following highlights some of the work undertaken across regions during the last quarter.
South East
As part of the development of the new East Marine Plan, Marie Canny has been working with the GIS team to produce a suite of maps that will support the plan. These include both overview maps of the plan area and detailed maps that provide evidence for individual policies.
The maps will present key information in an accessible visual format, making it easier for users to understand the evidence that underpins the plan.
Ongoing engagement with stakeholders has helped ensure the maps accurately reflect activities, opportunities, and constraints across the marine area. Combining stakeholder knowledge with technical mapping expertise is helping to support the development of practical, evidence-based policies.
North East
Amy Hodgson, Sophia Yakoob and Kathleen Telford have been working with students from Northumbria University and Newcastle University through a series of Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) Challenge workshops. The sessions gave students the opportunity to explore the complexities of marine planning and the competing demands placed on our marine environment.
Between 18 and 27 students attended each session, demonstrating strong engagement throughout. Each group approached the planning scenarios differently, reflecting the real-world skills required to develop marine plans and policies, including collaboration, evidence-based decision-making, and effective communication.
The workshops provided valuable insight into the challenges marine planners face when balancing competing interests and highlighted the importance of taking an integrated approach to managing marine and coastal areas. These sessions form part of our wider commitment to supporting future marine planning professionals and increasing understanding of marine planning.
South
Sidonie Kenward and Eva Turley recently met with MSc students at the University of Brighton to deliver an adapted version of the Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) Challenge. While the full exercise is usually delivered over a longer period, the shortened format enabled participants to gain an introduction to key marine planning concepts within a limited timeframe.
The session focused on the development of a freeport and encouraged students to consider how activities such as tourism, recreation and renewable energy can be affected by new developments. A particular focus was competition for space within the marine environment, highlighting the challenges of balancing multiple uses in the same area.
Many participants were future land-use planners, making the session especially valuable in promoting understanding between marine and land-use planning systems. Building these connections early supports more joined-up and sustainable decision-making in the future.
North West
Chloe Boyle and Mark Maguire have been working closely with regional Marine Ecosystem groups (SWME, EastME and NWME), which provide a platform for organisations, networks, and individuals to share knowledge and discuss the state of the marine environment.
These groups help strengthen collaboration between stakeholders, support evidence gathering and identify opportunities to inform future policy and strategy. They also provide valuable opportunities for the Marine Management Organisation to engage with partners working across different sectors and regions.
Over recent months, Chloe Boyle, Mark Maguire, Rosie Bailey, and Poppy Philipps have contributed to a range of Marine Ecosystem activities, including presentations at regional conferences and support for annual reporting. Their work has helped maintain strong relationships with stakeholders while sharing updates on marine planning activity and encouraging continued collaboration across the marine sector.
Leave a comment