Marine Management Organisation to lead regulatory coordination as Cornwall project becomes latest to benefit from streamlined approval process
Photo by Lyndon Antcliff
The UK government has introduced planning reforms to accelerate the £150 million redevelopment of Falmouth Docks, making it the second major infrastructure project to benefit from the Lead Environmental Regulator model following the Lower Thames Crossing scheme.
Under the reforms, announced on 20 October by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), APCL A&P Falmouth will work with a single lead environmental body rather than multiple overlapping regulators. The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) will take the helm as Lead Environmental Regulator, working with Natural England and the Environment Agency to provide streamlined advice whilst maintaining environmental standards.
Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds stated: “Communities across the country have been let down by a bureaucratic planning system that chokes enterprise, does little for nature and leaves hardworking people waiting for the jobs and investment they deserve.” She continued: “Having one clear regulator in charge speeds up approvals and helps projects like Falmouth Docks to progress at pace, without compromising our ironclad commitment to the environment. This is a win-win situation for jobs, prosperity and nature.”
The major overhaul involves repairing critical dock structures to accommodate larger vessels, including Excellence Class cruise ships up to 345 metres in length. Project developers anticipate the works could attract up to 200,000 cruise visitors annually by 2030, injecting £13 million into the local economy and supporting over 350 tourism-related jobs, whilst doubling Falmouth’s cargo and freight capacity.
The redevelopment will also create dedicated facilities for assembling floating offshore wind (FLOW) structures for deployment in the Celtic Sea. New on-site facilities would position Cornwall at the heart of an industry projected to contribute £45 million to the UK economy and create 2,000 clean energy jobs nationwide. Additionally, connecting a disused rail line with new bulk import/export facilities will unlock opportunities for Cornish lithium mining and battery manufacturing.
APCL A&P Falmouth Managing Director Mike Spicer welcomed the reforms: “APCL A&P Falmouth is a centre of excellence for the Royal Navy, Royal Fleet Auxiliary, offshore vessels, cruise ships and ferries. The facility is also a busy working port, handling over 100,000 tonnes of product annually and welcoming 56 cruise calls this year.” He added: “APCL welcomes today’s news that the Marine Management Organisation will act as a single point of contact for planning applications. The acceleration of planning process for development applications like ours will enable us to significantly enhance the services we can offer to our defence, offshore and cruise customers and help fulfil Cornwall’s ambitious floating offshore wind agenda.”
Michelle Willis, Chief Executive of the Marine Management Organisation, said: “We are delighted to be playing a leading part in transforming how we work with industry and key partners to shape a new way of working which unlocks growth and benefits our coastal communities whilst protecting our natural environment. This is an exciting project in Falmouth and one that will showcase how future licensing consent regulations can be applied to enable much-needed transformation and change.”
However, the proposals have faced opposition from environmental campaigners. Members of Ocean Rebellion staged a protest in Falmouth harbour in September, wearing gas masks to symbolise what they described as the toxic threat posed by the redevelopment. Sophie Miller of Ocean Rebellion warned: “This project risks turning our living harbour into a toxic dumping ground. It is being sold as renewable infrastructure, but in reality it opens the door to ever larger cruise ships.”
Opponents fear the dredging required for the project could lead to hundreds of thousands of tonnes of contaminated sediment being disposed of at sea, with potential detrimental impacts on the unique marine habitat within the Fal Estuary. Campaigners have raised concerns about the timing of environmental impact assessments and consultation processes.
The planning application was validated by Cornwall Council on 8 April 2025 and remains under review by the planning committee. The MMO is coordinating with the council to ensure alignment between the marine licence determination and terrestrial planning decision, as both are interdependent. Public consultation for the marine licence closed on 4 September, and the MMO is currently reviewing responses.
Under the new regulatory framework, any challenges that cannot be resolved between regulators will be escalated to DEFRA’s new Infrastructure Board to resolve blockages and maintain project momentum. The project will employ up to 100 construction workers daily between 2026 and 2027, with long-term benefits including new opportunities across marine engineering, logistics, and renewable energy sectors.
Set to become fully operational by 2030, extending the existing Queens Wharf westwards will allow larger vessels to berth. The reforms support the government’s Plan for Change commitment to fast-track 150 planning decisions on major infrastructure projects by the end of this Parliament, and come as part of wider measures to save UK firms nearly £6 billion per year by the end of Parliament.