Dr Heather RitchieUlster UniversityBelfast School of Architecture and the Built Environmenth.ritchie@ulster.ac.uk

Coastal Governance and Planning Challenges in the North, towards a more sustainable and integrated development.

Source: own photo

Overview

Governance Context

Administrative Context

Land Use Planning Tools

Marine Planning

Climate Change

Coastal Partnerships

Public Participation Source: McElduff and Ritchie, 2021

Current Coastal and Marine Governance Arrangements

• A complex system of rights and responsibilities

• Coastal governance increasingly questioned within sustainability paradigms – ambiguity and contested definitions

• Governance = period of flux: terrestrial and marine

• Legislative changes

• Planning reform – Local Authority more involved

• Policy consolidation + decentralisation

• Emergence of marine planning agenda and ICZM

• Brexit – Covid 19 Pandemic – Climate Change (recent IPCC report)

• This affects capacity to sustainably manage coastal and marine environments

• 3Cs = Need greater levels of collaboration – co-operation and coherence across spatial scales and across marine and terrestrial planning are required

Source: Stephen Hull

UK Coasts in context

• Well documented coastal areas have economic and social challenges

• Coastal communities experience growth and decline cycles

• New environmental challenges –recognised that long term strategies needed to both natural and economic sustainability

Source: own photo

UK Coasts in context

• Well documented coastal areas have economic and social challenges

• Coastal communities experience growth and decline cycles

• New environmental challenges –recognised that long term strategies needed to both natural and economic sustainability

UK Coasts in context

• Well documented coastal areas have economic and social challenges

• Coastal communities experience growth and decline cycles

• New environmental challenges – recognised that long term strategies needed to both natural and economic sustainability

Source: own photo

UK Coasts in context

• Action remains = sectoral –piecemeal – reactive

• Adaptive approaches needed for this dynamic environment

• Consider alternative solutions and reduce future risk

Source: own photo

UK Coasts in context

• Action remains = sectoral –piecemeal – reactive

• Adaptive approaches needed for this dynamic environment

• Consider alternative solutions and reduce future risk

Source: own photo

Administrative Context

• UK Terrestrial planning system = discretionary

• LUP operates through various mechanisms + tools: hierarchy of plans → Structure Plans, Local Development Plans, Planning Policy Statements

BUT

• Coastal zones do not lie within remit of a single authority / organisation – different geographies – different spatial scales

= Patchwork framework – confused roles and responsibilities

• Leads to additional challenges with respect to changes in coastal and marine policy and land use planning reforms

Land Use Planning Tools for Coastal Planning?

• All 4 Devolved Administrations of UK developed own tools for coastal planning

Example:

• NI – RDS 2012 places responsibility on the UK Marine Policy Statement 2011 and subsequent marine plans to provide spatial guidance and detailed policy for land sea interface

• NO specific coastal policy for NI

• SPPS 2015 sets out regional planning policies – a section on coastal development

• Seeks to protect undeveloped coast from inappropriate unsustainable development and supports sensitive regeneration of developed coast

Source: own photo

Key Strategic planning policy and guidance in relation to coast across UK administrations

Marine Planning in the UK

• Example of Northern Ireland geographical overlapbetween marine and terrestrial environments (DAERA, 2017)

• Emphasis on potential role of MSP to facilitate effective coastal management – PANACEA?

• LDP and Marine Plans MUST be complementary

• MCAA 2009 – 1st comprehensive legislation to focus on governance

• Acknowledgement of need to deal with challenges of 21st Century

• Enable sustainable development of UK seas ?

• Each Devolved Administration own Marine Plan but consistent with MPS

• ICZM still not addressed or given a role – ‘a suturing mechanism’

• Still needs BETTER COHERENCE – between marine and terrestrial

Source: DAERA Marine and Fisheries Division

Climate Change Awareness

• In NI no regional Climate Changelegislation....yet

• Local Authorities do not have direct responsibility for protection of flooding or coastal erosion

• Coastal Defence – Protection – flooding –erosion – all different government Departments

• Old formulaic approach –Bateman Formula 1967 – each gov dept takes responsibility for construction, maintenance and repair of coastal protection – cost-benefit analysis

• Combination of DfI (Rivers Agency) (Roads Service), Transport NI – road and rail

Climate Change Awareness

• Operational Basis coastal defence is ad hoc – as and when needed

• Professor Andrew Cooper, Ulster University “NI will be rimmed in concrete”

• Need for Shoreline Management Plans in NI like rest of UK – to assess and plan for future changes

Source: own photo

Coastal Partnerships

• Important component of UK coastal governance framework since 1990s – not aligned

• Uneven geographical spread – not integrated

• Yet voluntary nature of coastal policy – funding is limited and inconsistent – high turnover of staff - key constraints

• No formal role for coastal partnerships identified in MCAA – their position is ambiguous

• E.g. Scottish Coastal Forum (1996) instrumental in advising Marine Scotland and supporting 6 local partnerships covering all Scottish Coast – many more on English Coastline

• 2006 NI set up Northern Ireland Coastal and Marine Forum –non-statutory cross-section of interests for implementation of NI ICZM Strategy – addressed interdepartmental issues

• Coastal Communities Fund – Big Lottery Funding – competitive –seeks to create sustainable economic growth

Source: own photo

Public Participation

• Public participation in environmental decision making is well established

• Operating through terrestrial provisions for proposed development –Sustainability Appraisals and Environmental Impact Assessment

• At local level – TSP encourages Local Authorities to produce – Statement of Community Involvement – outlines how LA engages with community

• No specific provisions for participation in coastal zone (but there is for Marine Plan)

• Need more opportunity for public to shape policies affecting their coasts

• UK strong NGO representation esp. for coastal management

• Their Role: Identify issues – gather evidence – educated local community –advocate policy change – increase community awareness – generate collective voice to challenge decision makers

Overall Assessment

• Coastal Governance = complex patchwork of legislation + policy guidance across different scales

• In UK – across 4 different administrations – progressing at different speeds – creating Policy Vacuums

• Clear lack of integrated approach to coastal management

• Planning Reform - allowed local authorities to make decisions + introduce policies respecting coastlines

• New Era for coastal management – there are positive changes – Marine Planning helping – there is a role for ICZM

• Still a long way to go – Brexit (esp NI/ ROI), Covid, Climate Change, Resources

• Will achieve more if we have:

Collaboration, co-operation & coherence.Source: own photo