Scope of issues to be included in the revised Deben Estuary Plan
1. Purpose of the Deben Estuary Management Plan
The purpose of the Plan will be to:
- raise awareness about Deben Estuary and its significance
- conserve and enhance the Deben Estuary
- influence decision-making relating to Deben Estuary – Local Planning Authority (LPA), Parish Councils, landowners, businesses and local communities
- consider how new emerging policy areas in the Agricultural Act 2000, Environment Bill and 25 Year Plan, Environmental Land Management schemes and issues of Natural Capital and Climate Change which will impact/change the Deben Estuary
- provide a policy framework able to inform decision making
The revised Estuary Plan will:
- deliver an integrated approach to the coastal and adjacent estuarine zone
- recognise the value of the estuary in terms of the ecosystem services it provides and it’s wider natural, social and cultural capital
- recognise the impact of climate and social change on all aspects of the estuary
- integrate the requirements for flood risk management with the conservation and enhancement of the natural environment as well as the economic and social wellbeing of local communities along the Deben Estuary
Q1. Do you agree with the reasons identified for updating the Deben Estuary Plan and the purpose of the new document for guiding the future management of the Deben Estuary over the next 5 years?
If not, please suggest any further changes needed.
2. Status of the plan
The Deben Estuary Plan is a stand-alone document, closely aligned with the Suffolk Coastal Local Plan, Shoreline Management Plan and the Suffolk Coast & Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Management Plan 2018-2023.
The revised Deben Estuary Plan will be prepared in consultation with Local Authorities and key stakeholders and engagement with community interest groups who have an interest in the future of the estuary and how it is managed.
The Plan will be endorsed by East Suffolk Council (ESC), Coastal Partnership East (CPE), Suffolk County Council (SCC) and Suffolk Coast & Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
It will be accepted / adopted by the EA and Regional Flood and Coastal Committee (RFCC) as the strategic plan for flood risk management in the Deben Estuary.
Q2. Do you have any comments on the status of the Plan ?
Please identify any additional key guidance or documents that the Deben Estuary Management Plan should align with?
3. Area covered by the plan
The geographic area covered by the Deben Estuary Management Plan will be reviewed
The revised Plan will:
- Confirm extent of tidal estuary and note extent of river Deben Catchment Area.
- Confirm the criteria for defining the “wider estuary” as specified within the previous estuary plan including parish boundaries, watershed and landscape horizon
- Revisit the interaction between the immediate coastal frontage and the mouth of the Estuary.
- Note the introduction of Coastal Change Management Zones and their impact on policy
Q3. Do you agree with the extent of the area to be covered by the Deben Estuary Management Plan?
Please identify any additional area that the Deben Estuary Management Plan should include.
4. Legislation compliance
Planning (terrestrial and marine)
Planning policies relating to both the terrestrial and marine environment have the potential to impact on the Deben Estuary. Increased development pressure, onshore and offshore, can result in the urbanisation of the estuary, physical loss or change of habitat, change in land use and the erosion of landscape character with its special qualities of peacefulness and tranquillity.
The revised Deben Estuary Management Plan will highlight the key changes that have been introduced nationally to the planning systems in both the terrestrial and marine environments. It will identify how changes currently being considered to the English /UK planning system at the national level might impact on the Deben Estuary and whether mitigation will be necessary.
Compliance with the requirements of environmental legislation, including the Habitats and Wild Bird Directives and Water Framework Directive
The current Deben Estuary Management Plan objectives relate to compliance with international/European legislation.
- All applicable and appropriate guidance, such as those enshrined in Ramsar Convention, are acknowledged and that compliance with the requirements of environmental legislation is upheld
Outcome:
- to recognise, strengthen and enhance the habitats and biodiversity of the estuary and its hinterland. To maintain designated International, European and national environmental sites in good condition and ensure that any adverse impact on the adjacent hinterland is answered by appropriate compensation and mitigation measures
- All projects relating to the Deben Estuary Management Plan will be subject to Habitats Regulations and Water Framework Directive screening and assessment where required
Outcomes:
- to ensure that, whenever projects are planned, the integrity of the SPA and its hinterland is considered and safeguarded
- to ensure that appropriate screening of proposed projects includes assessment of the cumulative impact on wildlife, environment, biodiversity and geodiversity within the Deben Estuary
- to ensure that appropriate mitigation measures provide workable guidance for visitor behaviour in sensitive areas at all times of the year: ( Such as speeding watercraft, dogs off leads, use of off-road vehicles, including bicycles and motorcycles)
Q4. When considering terrestrial and marine planning in the revised Deben Estuary Management Plan, what objectives and outcomes should be included in relation to planning?
Next page for Overarching Estuary Policy Areas…