Marine Bill passage delayed until autumn
Thursday 02 July 2009
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| The Marine and Coastal Access Bill will reform the planning process for offshore renewables |
The Marine Bill is unlikely to be passed until the autumn, delaying planning reform for the renewables industry by months, New Energy Focus has learnt.
An official at Defra, the department sponsoring the bill, today (July 2) confirmed that the Bill's passage has been held up.
"We expect the Marine and Coastal Access Bill to be passed in the autumn of 2009, not in the summer as we originally planned," he said.
The news came after a renewables specialist at the Marine and Fisheries Agency (MFA), the executive agency intended to form the Marine Bill's new planning authority, told New Energy Focus yesterday (July 1) that hold-ups were expected.
The comments came from Gary James, a member of the offshore renewables team at the MFA, who was speaking at the Wave Energy Today conference in London.
The Agency is scheduled to move up to Newcastle to new offices to form the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), a new planning authority outlined in the Marine Bill, which will decide on all applications for energy developments under 100MW.
Mr James said there was uncertainty as to when the department would officially form the new MMO.
"There have been a lot of amendments in the Lords," he said. "It was due to happen in April next year but we are not sure if that is the case now."
An official at Defra explained that the new Organisation would not be formed until the Bill was passed, but that the MFA would move up to Newcastle as scheduled, regardless of the legislation's passage.
Mr James told New Energy Focus that the aim of the Marine Management Organisation was to streamline the planning process for marine development.
The MMO will replace the Marine and Fisheries Agency, and absorb some responsibilities of other departments, to bring all marine functions into one department.
Consent
Currently, all offshore renewables projects are subject to consent under the Food and Environmental Protection Act (FEPA) and the Coastal Protection Act (CPA), both administered by the MFA.
Developers must also get consent under the Electricity Act from the Department of Energy and Climate Change.
But, the Marine Bill will replace all planning legislation for offshore renewables, requiring developers to get consent from the MMO for projects under 100MW (see this New Energy Focus story).
For projects over 100MW, which will include most Round Two and Round Three offshore wind farms, consent must be sought from the Infrastructure Planning Commission outlined in the Planning Bill (see this New Energy Focus story).
Speaking at the conference yesterday, Mr James outlined the possible changes that might occur under the Marine Bill.
The best advice I can give you is come and talk to us as soon as possible
He said: "The whole consents system will be changed and the FEPA and CPA legislation is particularly old so it is going to be replaced by a new consent system and then you will only need one consent."
"However, the requirement for the current consents systems will still be a part of the new consents system because that comes out of the EU legislation," he continued.
He added: "The best advice I can give you is come and talk to us as soon as possible."
Chair
The news of the Marine Bill's delay came as the government today announced Christopher Parry as the chair designate of the Marine Management Organisation.
Mr Parry will take up the post formally following successful passage of the Marine Bill.
Mr Parry has had a naval career spanning 30 years, including active service in Northern Ireland, the Falklands and the Gulf, and has held director and then director-general roles at Ministry of Defence.
He has been appointed for three years from the date when the MMO is established, and prior to that date will act as chair designate.
He will be paid £90,000 a year pro rata as chair designate, based on ten days' work a month.
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