A new report commissioned by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) titled “Exploring the challenges, opportunities and barriers to local decision making in the context of marine planning” has been published.
The research aimed to scope out the challenges, opportunities and barriers to local decision-making within a marine planning context; defining localised marine planning, its potential benefits and how it could be implemented. It is the first step towards exploring work towards a multi-level, nested marine planning approach to deliver a more equitable, participatory and inclusive approach to decision-making. ‘Nested’ in this case means planning at different scales, national, regional and local, where a local marine plan (or number of local marine plans) may be developed within a region covered by an existing marine plan area, and both within the context of a national policy framework.
Credit: The Marine Management Organisation
Value of local decisions-making
A literature review highlighted successful international and domestic examples of multi-layered governance with local engagement. A workshop involving the MMO’s marine planning team identified common ground on the value of local decision-making in marine planning. Key benefits included improved social equity, integrated management, and stronger evidence, while challenges included funding, resource needs, and changing mindsets.
A subsequent workshop acknowledged government drivers for local decision-making, highlighting the need for fair, just, and equitable processes, better land-sea planning, and addressing spatial conflicts. To implement local marine planning effectively, clear mandates, additional resources, and stronger collaboration were deemed essential.
Key conclusions
It was found that developing a local approach to management is an increasingly strong ambition across many policy areas and jurisdictions, recognising the critical role of effective engagement and collaboration in the delivery of equitable outcomes. However, it is not a straightforward process and there are many aspects to be considered during the development of new approaches and to be reflected upon as they are implemented.
The roadmap developed proposed a further scoping phase to inform the development of a comprehensive pilot, followed by implementation of that full pilot, and the potential for full implementation no sooner than 2026.