Marine Planning Stakeholder Reference Group meeting: 19 March 2025

Eluned Jones (Chair, Welsh Government), Elen King, Megan Nicholas & Morgan Commins (Welsh Government), Adrian Judd & Charlotte Brill (Cefas / Welsh Government), Dr Julian Whitewright (Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales), Nick Salter (Maritime and Coastguard Agency), Emma Harrison (The Crown Estate), Lucie Skates, Katherine Griffiths, Lee Murray & Karen Perrow (Natural Resources Wales), Jim Evans (Welsh Fishermen’s Association - Cymdeithas Pysgotwyr Cymru), Claire Stephenson (Associated British Ports), Mark Simmonds (British Ports Association), Chrissie Ingle (Severn Estuary Partnership), Poppy Philipps (Marine Management Organisation), Alex Curd (Marine Conservation Society), Phil Horton (Royal Yachting Association).

Chair, Welsh Government

Eluned welcomed new members and guests to the Marine Planning Stakeholder Reference Group (MPSRG) and initiated a round table of introductions. 

Eluned Jones, Welsh Government

Eluned gave an overview of the Independent Review of Marine Planning Approaches, which will inform considerations on further developing the marine planning framework in Wales. She outlined the context to the Review and noted that the Independent Review is separate from the Welsh Government’s statutory duty, under the Marine and Coastal Access Act (MCAA) (2009), to report on the effectiveness of the Welsh National Marine Plan (WNMP).

Eluned outlined the scope of the Independent Review, including considering opportunities to provide greater spatial clarity and direction for development within the marine planning framework in Wales. She also highlighted that the Independent Review is considering how to balance all important uses of the marine area, as well as how to best reflect environmental issues in the marine planning framework.

Eluned provided a brief update on the timeline for progressing the Independent Review and how the work is progressing.  Eluned thanked members of the MPSRG who have fed into the work of the Independent Review. She also provided an overview of some emerging themes which might be highlighted in the report.

Elen King, Welsh Government

Elen provided some background on the duty to review the effectiveness of the WNMP every three years, as set out in the MCAA. She outlined key findings from the previous Monitoring Report, published in 2022, which found good progress in implementing the WNMP and that WNMP policies were being increasingly used in decision making.

Elen outlined that the next Monitoring Report will be published in November 2025. She noted that the upcoming report builds on the findings identified in 2022, highlighting that there is further positive evidence to suggest that the WNMP is increasingly being used in decision making. She also noted good progress in providing marine planning guidance and evidence to support WNMP implementation.

To gather views and evidence as part of the monitoring and reporting process, Elen noted that Welsh Government is seeking stakeholder input on the effectiveness of the WNMP. She invited the MPSRG to provide feedback, both during the meeting and afterwards. Issues discussed included:

• challenges and evidence requirements associated with assessing wider impacts e.g. in relation to GVA and GES
• the scope of the Monitoring Report and how it relates to wider reporting obligations (e.g. under the UK Marine Strategy) – Elen signposted MPSRG members to the Monitoring and Report Framework
• challenges associated with the availability of baseline data
• whether the Monitoring Report would impact on the weighting assigned to marine plans in decision making on major infrastructure projects.

Megan Nicholas, Welsh Government

Megan provided a summary of ongoing work to develop a Technical Statement to support the consistent and effective implementation of WNMP policy, ENV_01 (Resilient Marine Ecosystems). She presented on:

• the policy context, aim, and intended effect of Policy ENV_01 in practice, covering the protection, restoration and enhancement of marine ecosystems
• the development of the Technical Statement and supporting Annexes
• the contents of the Technical Statement and the three Technical Annexes which complement the Technical Statement (which respectively cover evidence which may support applicants and decision makers with environmental considerations, evidence needs which may be addressed under the ‘enhancement’ element of ENV_01, and good practice case studies).

Megan then invited members of the MPSRG to ask questions or provide comments on the draft Technical Statement and Annexes, either at or following the meeting.

Key topics discussed included:

• the need to ensure that terminology within the Technical Statement and Annexes is consistent with the wording in the WNMP and WNMP Implementation Guidance
• examples of nature positive measures that have been implemented in other nations
• clarification on the meaning of ‘enhancement’, in the context oof ENV_01

Megan then gave a brief overview of Welsh Government’s intention to commission a scoping study to explore the potential to deliver Marine Net Benefit in Wales. She noted that the scoping study would be conducted over the course of the 2025-2026 financial year and that Welsh Government will be seeking stakeholder input as part of the project.

This was followed by a brief discussion, where MPSRG members submitted resources to assist with the upcoming study and raised relevant work that is being undertaken by neighbouring marine planning authorities. 

Eluned Jones, Welsh Government

Eluned provided a short overview of Strategic Resource Areas (SRAs) and Resource Mapping. She explained that refined resource area maps are currently available on the Wales Marine Planning Portal. These are informational maps which assist with considerations on whether to develop potential SRAs for given sectors.

Eluned clarified the nature of SRAs and emphasised that SRAs do not provide support for development, but rather highlight to developers that they must not inappropriately block the future ability of a sector to access an area. If developers wish to co-locate in an SRA, they must demonstrate that this is justifiable.

Eluned noted that Huw Irranca-Davies MS, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, introduced the first SRAs, safeguarding resources for Tidal Stream Energy, in January 2025. Eluned noted that Welsh Government would welcome ongoing discussion with stakeholders to explore the potential to map SRAs for other sectors. She advised that Welsh Government is likely, in the first instance, to explore the potential to map SRAs for floating offshore wind, marine aggregates and, potentially, seaweed aquaculture. Eluned thanked MPSRG members who have already provided feedback on current refined resource area maps for floating offshore wind and mapping methodologies to inform resource mapping for seaweed aquaculture. She also noted that there is ongoing collaboration between Welsh Government Marine Planning and The Crown Estate in relation to mapping potential offshore wind and marine aggregates SRAs and; likewise Marine Planning are engaging closely with Welsh Government Fisheries colleagues on mapping fisheries activity. Eluned also noted that the Independent Review is likely to outline further recommendations for SRA development in Wales, which the Welsh Government will consider.

All

There was no other business.  Eluned thanked members for attending and for engaging in the meeting.

Meeting end.