Marine Planning Issues with Supporting Evidence

Areas of potential for sustainable aquaculture have been identified, however there are currently no actively designated aquaculture zones, creating a challenge for the growth of the sector.  

The potential for co-existence with other marine activities (including offshore wind) in the future creates both opportunities (for example reducing spatial squeeze, contribution to biodiversity) and challenges (for example cooperation between industries and practical considerations such as location choice). 

Continued growth of the offshore wind industry will lead to increasing need for subsea cables and thus increased competition for space. 

The development of offshore hybrid assets (OHAs) may permit power from multiple offshore windfarms to make landfall via shared cables, presenting an opportunity to reduce the spatial footprint associated with offshore wind cables.

Infrastructure decommissioning will increase in the future in the Southern North Sea and will need to be carried out in such a way as to facilitate the carbon capture, usage and storage industry re-using infrastructure (for example plugging wells sufficiently to avoid leakage).

Carbon removal is an emerging issue presenting both challenges and opportunities for the future.

Changing climatic conditions are likely to lead to more frequent and stronger storms, which is likely to result in changes to dredging and disposal requirements. For instance, additional dredging and disposal campaigns may be required to clear sediment deposited by storm events, or to support additional beach recharge for beaches depleted by storm erosion. 

The shallow water depth throughout the east marine plan areas (including offshore) requires that deeper draft vessels are escorted. In the future, offshore dredging may be required to maintain safe navigational routes through the area in response to changing sediment movements and the possible presence of larger vessels. 

The government is currently working to streamline the planning process (both locally and nationally) in order to help achieve targets for levelling up. This includes measures to give more power to Local Authorities in decision-making, which presents a challenge to ensure that decisions are taken in a coordinated and sustainable manner. 

There are several plans for desalination plants along the east coast. This will increase freshwater availability, but may also have environmental impacts on coastal and marine areas. 

Electrification of oil and gas platforms creates an opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with oil and gas supply. 

Market instability can discourage new oil and gas developments, with negative impacts on employment. However, future opportunities for workers to apply their skills in related industries, including those associated with the re-use of oil and gas infrastructure (for example hydrogen and carbon capture and storage), represents an employment opportunity. 

The development of larger, longer and autonomous vessels may lead to increased spatial conflict with other marine uses (for example offshore wind developments) as a larger buffer zone may be required around shipping lanes for navigational safety. The use of autonomous vessels also creates regulatory challenges.  

The development of larger vessels and increased shipping activity is likely to require deeper navigational dredging and an increase in sediment needing to be disposed of. The impacts will potentially increase the detrimental environmental impacts of dredging. 

Offshore wind developments contribute to cumulative pressures on marine life, for instance through the generation of underwater noise. These pressures may become more severe in the future, owing to increased offshore wind construction and other anthropogenic activities in the east marine plan areas, as well as increased stress due to climate change.  

The increased rollout of offshore wind infrastructure may result in increased displacement of, and pressure on, fisheries. The displacement of fisheries may be compounded by climate change, which could result in changing abundance and distribution of fish species. 

Hydrogen is expected to play a vital role in decarbonising businesses and transport, helping the UK meet its net zero requirements. Hydrogen/carbon capture usage and storage clusters can contribute to decarbonise important industries. 

As an emerging sector, many uncertainties remain regarding the up scaling of the industry (in particular technology and regulation). Whilst the current government goal is to produce 10 GW of hydrogen by 2030, the sector is dependent on other industries and voluntary cooperations. 

Government policy is to construct a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) for the long-term disposal of nuclear waste. The Theddlethorpe community is being considered as a location for a GDF, presenting possible employment opportunities but also significant challenges, including competition for space with other marine activities during site screening, construction and maintenance.

Current UK government policy is to increase nuclear generating capacity to 24 GW by 2050, using both traditional and new technologies. Should future new nuclear infrastructure be sited in coastal locations, this will create both challenges and opportunities for coastal communities and coastal/marine sectors.