Like other coastal zones in the UK, the Solent has a highly complex system of planning and management due to the different regulatory systems across the land- sea divide and the wide range of authorities and agencies involved. There is a corresponding large number of plans, strategies and other initiatives around the Solent, produced by a range of organisations for different purposes and covering different areas and timescales.

Currently a range of new legislation is coming into effect that will affect the planning and management of the coastal and marine environment and as a result new plans and processes are being introduced. The most notable are:

• The Planning and Compensation Act, this has brought significant changes to the planning system including a new development plans framework of regional spatial strategies and local development frameworks;
• The Water Framework Directive, bringing in a new system of river basin management plans;
• The Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive, which will apply to a range of plans;
• EU Recommendation on ICZM

These coastal management webpages aim to explain, as far as is currently known, the changes in legislation and planning in the coastal and marine environment and the implications for the Solent.

Page last updated 7 Jun 05

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