Marine Plan Areas

asNeeded

Using bio-geographical regions and administrative boundaries, English waters were divided into a number of offshore and inshore plan areas. The inshore areas extend to the 12 nautical mile limit and the offshore areas extend from the territorial sea limit to the UK Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Modifications of the marine plan areas were made in July 2010 following a public consultation (led by Defra in October 2009). Further modifications by the MMO are as follows: October 2010: to align the landward boundary with Ordnance Surveys Mean High Water (springs) definition (OS Boundary Line, May 2010). In England this OS definition follows Mean High Water rather than Mean High Water Springs, therefore it is not a definitive landward boundary and only acts as a proxy for the landward extent of the marine plan areas. July 2012: to align the outer offshore boundary with the UK Renewable Energy Zone, as per the guidance outlined in the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. June 2014: to align the outer offshore boundary with the newly adopted UK Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Amendments were made following the Exclusive Economic Zone Order 2013 (2013 No. 3161). The most significant changes can be seen in the South West Offshore Plan Area. The North West marine plan area was divided into an inshore and offshore for the purposes of consistency with the other plan areas. A number of minor topographical corrections/improvements were also made. October 2017: to align the Solway Firth Marine Plan Area boundary in accordance with The Scottish Adjacent Waters Boundary Order 1999 Article 3, Schedule 1, Part 2, Solway Firth coordinate 6 (54� 56 22N, 03� 20 48W). Ammended from (54� 56 39N, 03� 20 48W). July 2018: to update the landward boundary with Ordnance Surveys Mean High Water definition (OS Boundary Line, May 2018). March 2022: to align the SW_i and NW_i plan area boundaries to the Ordnance Survey Extent of Realm definition adjacent with Wales (OS Boundary Line, October 2021). Public response to consultation on the draft Marine Bill indicated that plan areas should be designated on bio-geographical regions rather than political boundaries and so plan boundaries are based on the regional reporting areas laid out in Charting Progress, Water Framework Directive regions, ICES proposed eco-regions, Natural Englands Marine Natural Areas and Sea Fisheries Committee/IFCA regions. The 12-mile limit acts as the boundary between inshore and offshore plan areas. Planning areas are constrained by the borders with Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Vector data delineating the national borders, the 12-mile limit and the Charting Progress regions were merged to generate the regional boundaries.