Stakeholder Engagement for Shoreline Management Plans

Lessons for Marine Planning

Kath Winnard Atkins Limited

Stakeholder Engagement for Shoreline Management Plans

● Stakeholder engagement in Shoreline Management Plans ● What did we do?

● ● What worked?

What didn’t and why?

● What lessons can be learned for marine planning?

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Stakeholder Engagement

Stakeholder Groups ● ● ● ● ● Project Management Group - a sub set of Coastal Group Coastal Group – overall development of the SMP Elected Members Forum (EMF) – elected members from the local authorities Key Stakeholder Group (KSG) groups, industry – stakeholders with primary interests – user groups, community councils, parish councils, conservation Other Stakeholders – everyone else 3

Stakeholder Engagement

Identify Stakeholders Initial contact with Stakeholders Consult with Key Stakeholders Consult with Key Stakeholders 3 month Public Consultation Coastal Group consultation 4

Severn Estuary SMP2

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Characteristics of the Severn

● ● Cross border SMP2 – England , Wales Lots of infrastructure – road, rail, electricity, water/sewerage ● ● Has been populated for over 2,000 years Historically reclaimed land – Gwent Levels ● Agricultural land ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Dispersed / individual properties Low laying – flooding is the biggest issue Different sources of flooding – tidal, river, run-off, tidal surges, mixture Not a lot of data upstream of the M4 bridges European / International conservation sites – SAC, SPA, Ramsar Other protected sites – local, national, international Severn Tidal Power Feasibility Study – ‘Severn Barrage’ 6

Stakeholders in the Severn

● ● ● ● Severn Estuary Coastal Group (SECG) – 10 local authorities, 3 EA regions, 3 Internal Drainage Boards, 2 Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies, 2 historic environment advisors, Defra, WAG Elected Members Forum (EMF) – representatives from each Local Authority, 3 EA Regional Flood Defence Committees Key Stakeholders Group (KSG) – over 300 different organisations Other Stakeholders – 500,000 people around the Estuary 7

● ● ● ● ● ●

What did we do?

Severn Estuary Partnership – website, database of contacts, e-mail newsletter, knowledge and experience of issues Website – SECG website – area set aside for the SMP2 E-mail updates – monthly SEP e-news (>1,000 contacts) Key Stakeholder Group meetings – Cardiff, Slimbridge, Penarth, Gloucester, Bristol Elected Members Forum meeting – Bristol Public Consultation & Events – Penarth, Bristol, Gloucester 8

What worked?

● ● ● ● ● Website – clickable map Accessibly document – clickable electronic document Coastal Group members Individual meetings with planners Severn Estuary Partnership 9

What didn’t work … and why

● Elected Members Forum ● Coastal Group members ● ● ● Lack of time Confusion – Severn Barrage, different types of flooding, high level strategy, long term planning Its complicated – 66 Policy Units, 3 epochs, 4 policy options, 11 very technical appendices 10

What lessons can be learned?

● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Time

– longer than you think What are you asking - what

can

be changed / what

cant

? Be clear Who are you asking and why? – do they have different roles? Be flexible to newcomers People may have concerns outside the scope of the project / plan – how do you deal with these?

Make it as

easy

maps, diagrams as possible – clear text, Plain English, easy to navigate, Use a range of different methods Different areas are different – the guidance / legislation is the same You wont please everyone - but the

effort

is often appreciated In the absence of data, consultation is

more

knowledge and opinions

are

data important – stakeholders’ 11

Thank you

[email protected]

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