Guidance

Marine Planning Monitoring Surveys 2025 Summary

Published 31 July 2025

1. Background and context

England’s inshore and offshore marine areas are covered by six marine plans. The marine plans support applicants and decision-makers to make coordinated and sustainable decisions.

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has a responsibility for monitoring and reporting on the following criteria under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009, Sections 54 and 61:

• effects that adopted marine plan policies are having.
• effectiveness of adopted marine plan policies in securing the objectives of their linked marine plan objectives.
• progress towards achieving the objectives of adopted marine plans.

2. Marine Planning Monitoring Surveys

MMO uses stakeholder surveys to collect marine planning information and inform its marine plan monitoring activities.

The Marine Planning Monitoring Surveys ran from 11 November 2024 to 27 January 2025 and was developed to gain insights into the use of marine plans and the real-world effects that they may be having.

The Marine Planning Monitoring Surveys were delivered alongside marine plan user training sessions.

In total, we received 85 completed submissions to our Marine Planning Monitoring Surveys.

3. Marine Planning Monitoring Surveys 2025: response summary

When completing the surveys, respondents could identify as representing one or more stakeholder type, as well as their interest in multiple marine plan areas. The surveys contained a mix of mandatory and optional questions.

Most survey responses received were from decision-makers (37% of 85 question respondents) and advisory bodies (22%). The remaining respondents identified as either ‘another stakeholder type’ (19%), an applicant (12%) and/or as an individual (10%).

Most respondents were aware of England’s marine plans and had some experience of using them, at least occasionally (83% of 85 responses received). Thirteen respondents (16%) were aware of England’s marine plans but had not used them. Only one respondent was unaware of England’s marine plans.

Over the last 18 months, 47% of 66 question respondents had referred to marine plan policies when making an authorisation or enforcement decisions (‘in all cases’ to ‘very rarely’). Fourteen question respondents (21%) had not referred to marine plan policies when making authorisation and enforcement decisions. Similarly, 21% of question respondents did not have responsibilities making such decisions.

For ‘other decisions’ taken in the last 18 months (eg decisions taken when developing a local minerals and aggregates plan), 61% of 66 question respondents had referred to marine plans (‘in all cases’ to ‘very rarely’). Eight respondents (12%) had not referred to marine plan policies when making other decisions. Nine respondents (13%) did not have responsibilities making such decisions.

Table 1 shows the policy areas used most often by respondents when making a decision or developing a proposal.

Table 1. five most often used policy areas reported by question respondents when making a decision or developing a proposal

Policy area	Number of respondents
Biodiversity	37
Marine protected areas	32
Climate change	27
Ports and harbours	23
Water quality	23

Table 2 shows the policy areas used least often by respondents when making a decision or developing a proposal.

Table 2. five least often used policy areas reported by question respondents when making a decision or developing a proposal

Policy area	Number of respondents
Cross-border co-operation	8
Oil and gas	9
Defence	9
Sub-sea cables	10
Underwater noise	13

Almost half of the question respondents (44% of 85 responses received) were aware of the enhancements to the Marine Case Management System which require a marine plan policy assessment to be completed in support of a marine licence application. One quarter of respondents (25%) were not aware of the changes. The remaining respondents were not users of the Marine Case Management System.

Of the respondents that were aware of the enhancements to the Marine Case Management System (MCMS), half (50% of 36 responses received) felt that the changes had increased their consideration of marine plans. Many respondents (44%) felt that the enhancements had not affected their consideration of marine plans. The remaining 6% of respondents felt that the enhancements had significantly decreased their consideration of marine plans.

4. Concluding remarks

Thank you to everyone who responded to our Marine Planning Monitoring Surveys 2025, as well as to those who attended our marine plan user training sessions.

The responses will be used to inform our future marine plan monitoring and reporting activities for England’s six adopted marine plans. Previous reports are available for the East, South, North East, North West, South East and South West Marine Plans.

Findings linked to the east marine plan areas will be used to inform the replacement of the East Inshore and East Offshore Marine Plans. Details on the replacement of the East Inshore and East Offshore Marine Plans is set out in the East Inshore and Offshore Marine Plan Areas - Statement of Public Participation guidance document.

5. Further information

You can find more information how to use England’s marine plans on our Using Marine Plans webpage.

Explore Marine Plans is our interactive, digital service which supports England’s marine plans by helping users to find and view: 

• information on marine licences 
• marine data on a map 
• marine plan policy information

Please contact us at planning@marinemanagement.org.uk if you have any questions.