The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) believes that newly published East marine plans give recreational boating a stronger platform to challenge developers who might seek to restrict recreational boating activities.

The new plans from the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) mean prospective developers are now required to take account of recreation and to ensure that developments do not adversely affect it.
 
Gus Lewis, the RYA’s head of Legal and Government Affairs, said: ‘A lot of leisure boating takes place in the East coast and so it was important that recreational boating was a significant consideration for the MMO’s marine plans for this area.
 
‘The plans state that ‘boating routes, as well as, industry representations’ must be considered in order to ensure the activity can continue and grow’ which suggests that there shouldn’t be an automatic presumption that something which generates revenue trumps a recreational activity.
 
‘We also welcome the fact that the RYA is named as an organisation that developers should consult with before making an application.’
 
The East Inshore and East Offshore areas are the first areas in England
to be selected for marine planning.

The first marine plans for the future of our seas, published last week, cover the seas from Flamborough Head to Felixstowe.

The Government’s stated aim of its marine plans is to ensure a sustainable future for British coastal and offshore waters through managing and balancing the many activities, resources and assets in our marine environment.
 
The RYA together with a number of RYA-affiliated clubs based on the east coast contributed fully to the development of the marine plans in regard to recreational boating.  
 
You can read the East Marine Plans on the Marine Management Organisation’s website.

Picture credit: ©British Crown, NERC, SeaZone Solutions Ltd