Royal HaskoningDHV 

MCZ Assessment Guidance 

Royal HaskoningDHV has produced a set of recommendations for taking a plan or project through the MCZ assessment process.

In November 2013 the first Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) were designated. A second tranche of MCZs was consulted on this year and these sites are currently being considered for designation. MCZs are designated under the Marine and Coastal Access Act (MCAA) 2009. Under Section 126 of the MCAA (2009), duties are placed on the MMO in relation to marine licence decision making and the consideration of MCZs.

To undertake its marine licensing function, the MMO has introduced a new three stage sequential assessment process for considering the impacts on the MCZ.  The stages are:

1. Screening

All marine licence applications to the MMO go through an initial screening stage to determine whether:

• the plan or project is within or near to an area designated, or put forward for designation, as a MCZ;
• the plan or project is capable of affecting the protected features of a MCZ, or any ecological or geomorphological processes on which the conservation of the features wholly or partly depend. 

2. Stage 1 assessment

The Stage 1 assessment considers the extent of the potential impact of the plan or project on the MCZ in more detail. The Stage 1 assessment looks at whether the plan or project could potentially affect the conservation objectives for the site, that is, impact the site so that the features are no longer in favourable condition, or prevent the features from recovering to a favourable condition.  If mitigation to reduce identified impacts cannot be secured, and there are no other alternative locations, then the project will proceed to be considered under Stage 2 of the assessment process.

3. Stage 2 assessment

The Stage 2 assessment considers the socio-economic impact of the plan or project together with the risk of environmental damage. There are two parts to the Stage 2 assessment process:

• Does the public benefit in proceeding with the project clearly outweigh the risk of damage to the environment that will be created by proceeding with it? If so,
• Can the applicant  satisfy that they can secure, or undertake arrangements to secure, measures of equivalent environmental benefit for the damage the project will have on the MCZ features?

Considering these three stages,  Royal HaskoningDHV has produced recommendations for taking a plan or project through this assessment process.

Royal HaskoningDHV’s MCZ assessment “guidance” can be downloaded here:

[RHDHV MCZ Assessment Guidance]

Royal HaskoningDHV has extensive experience in leading complex marine projects through the various stages of environmental assessment required for marine protected areas. They have already undertaken a number of Stage 1 MCZ assessments, including for the Port of Felixstowe Berth 9 Quay Extension, the Port of Falmouth Dredging Initiative and the Dudgeon offshore windfarm export cable. Currently, no Stage 2 assessments have been completed for any marine plan or project, but at least two Stage 2 assessments are currently being progressed.

For further information please contact Miriam Knollys at Royal HaskoningDHV

E:  miriam.knollys@rhdhv.com