Improve, not replace: SUDG marine industries need stability to deliver green growth

The SUDG has written to three Secretaries of States to state they do not recommend moving away from environmental legislation such as the Habitat Regulations and the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, which are well established and well understood.

SUDG Letter to SoS for BEIS DLUHC and DEFRA_Marine industries reinforce the need for stabi.

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The SUDG believe that considerable improvements could be made to the length and complexity of the consenting process, the time it takes to reach a decision and the bureaucracy associated with gaining consent, but that most improvements could be achieved by better implementation of the existing legislation rather than widespread planning reform.

SUDG response to Defra's Marine Net Gain Consultation

As a group, the SUDG has been discussing how to make net gain a success in coastal and marine environments for a number of years, working with other stakeholder to understand the challenges and opportunities that net gain will present. Throughout discussions, there has been a general consensus amongst all stakeholders that for net gain to be successful in the coastal and marine environments, it must be delivered strategically, avoiding a piecemeal approach. This is a fundamental component of successful net gain and should be the overarching driver for developing a delivery approach.

SUDG response to Defra's Marine Net Gain Principles_v2.pdf

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SUDG Response to Defra's Biodiversity Net Gain Consultation

Defra's Biodiversity Net Gain Consultation_SUDG_final.pdf

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Marine industries continue to be generally supportive of the concept of net gain, both in the intertidal and marine environments, however, to maintain this support it is essential that net gain is delivered in such a way that secures the best environmental outcomes with the least bureaucracy and burdensome regulatory processes for developers. The introduction of net gain will be one of the biggest changes to consenting developments in the UK for over a decade, and there is great potential to contribute to significant improvements in our rapidly declining natural environment, but there is also a considerable risk, that if administered badly, it will create a legislative nightmare for potential projects, stifling development and restricting marine industries growth by making certain projects unviable.