The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs has published the updated coastal concordat which sets out the separate processes for consenting coastal developments in England.
The revised version replaces the original published on 11 November 2013. It supports decision-making between Local Authorities and those regulators who work in the marine area.
The government’s 25 Year Environment Plan aims for all Local Authorities with a coastal interest to adopt the concordat by 2021. Working under the concordat is currently a voluntary arrangement.
The concordat approach can be applied to any applications for individual projects, if they:
- span the intertidal area in estuaries and on the coast
- require multiple consents including both a marine licence and a planning permission from the local planning authority
It will not apply to projects that:
- are solely terrestrial
- already have co-ordination mechanisms in place such as National Significant Infrastructure projects
Local authorities who are currently adopters of the coastal concordat are:
- Arun District Council
- Borough Council of Kings Lynn and West Norfolk
- Boston Borough Council
- Cheshire West and Chester Council
- Cornwall Council
- Dorset Council
- Durham County Council
- East Suffolk Council
- Forest of Dean District Council
- Great Yarmouth Borough Council
- Lancaster City Council
- Newcastle City Council
- North Norfolk District Council
- Plymouth City Council
- Portsmouth City Council
- Scarborough District Council
- South Hams District Council
- Southampton City Council
- Tendring District Council
- West Devon Borough Council
Alongside the coastal concordat Defra has also published an implementation document for use by staff in regulatory and advisory bodies that have adopted the concordat principles.
Click here to access the revised coastal concordat document
Click here to access the revised implementation document