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Highlights from this month’s work
This month SEP welcomes new faces to the team with two recent Marine Geoscience graduates from Cardiff University undertaking summer placements. Emma Evans is assisting with the Severn Estuary Forum and stakeholder communication, and Emma Waddington is assisting with this years state of the Severn Estuary reporting.
This month we have participated in several interesting meetings and events including:
- Coastal Partnerships Network (CPN) committee meeting - numerous coastal partnerships met to exchange information and discuss a range of topics including future funding options.
- Wales Marine Strategic Advisory Group - a newly formed group of Welsh Government stakeholders met to discuss stakeholder engagement across the Marine Transition Programme
- Greater Severn Estuary Ecosystem Services study - aims to develop a sustainable pathway for ecological restoration, regional regeneration and renewable energy development within the Greater Severn region, as part of the “Sustainable Severn” work programme
- Beach clean of Ogmore-by-Sea
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The Severn Estuary Forum is fast approaching!
The 2014 Severn Estuary Forum will be held at Cardiff University on Tuesday 16th September and promises a fascinating day of informative and engaging presentations within four topic areas: Climate Change, Energy Generation, Estuary Planning and Local Issues. For a full line up of presentations and speakers please see the programme.
Tickets are on sale now at discounted Early bird prices! These discounted prices are only available for two more weeks so book quickly to avoid disappointment. To find out more please visit the Severn Estuary Partnership website. For a further discount for groups of four delegates or more please contact us.
Display space at the venue is selling quickly but we still have a few spaces left. These areas can be provided for any organisation or group wishing to promote their activities. Please contact the Partnership to book your space.
The Forum is sponsored by Associated British Ports (ABP), MarineSpace, British Marine Aggregate Producers Association (BMAPA) and Cardiff University. Sponsorship packages are still available – please contact us if you are interested in sponsoring this event.
The event is supported by CIWEM (The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management) and will be a Continuing Professional Development event for members of this professional body.
Our estuary: challenges and opportunities
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Help us help the Estuary
The Severn Estuary is dynamic and diverse with huge value to the economy, environment and society. The Severn Estuary Partnership promotes a holistic estuary-wide perspective for the Severn and encourages everyone to work together to view the estuary as a whole to respond in partnership to future risks and opportunities.
If you want to keep your finger on the pulse of Severn Estuary activities and have access to a broad range of statutory, non-statutory, industrial and recreational user groups, join the Severn Estuary Partnership! Membership of SEP will improve your ability to make contact with people who share your interests and meet others with useful information. Over 15 years of knowledge and Estuary wide contacts will be at your fingertips. Specific benefits of our membership and associated cost can be found here.
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The Severn Estuary Partnership is neutral and unbiased. The below stories are collated to make you aware of what is topical and making the news regarding the Severn Estuary. They do not necessarily represent the views of the Partnership.
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Crown Estate unlocks further UK wave and tidal current opportunities
The Crown Estate has agreed seabed rights for:
- six new wave and tidal current demonstration zones, which for the first time will enable locally-based organisations to manage and sub-let parts of the seabed to a range of wave and tidal stream developers and;
- for five new wave and tidal current sites, each with the potential to deliver a project of between 10 and 30 MW.
The locations for the demonstration zones and project sites include three off the coast of England, four off the coast of Scotland, one in Northern Ireland and three off the coast of Wales. Read more
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Company behind tidal barrage project in the Severn Estuary closing in on £200m investment
The company behind plans for a £26bn tidal barrage in the Severn Estuary is understood to be in advanced negotiations with a world leading infrastructure investor over a first phase £200m cash injection into the ambitious project.
The global orientated investor, which finances major global infrastructure project with a long-term return on investment criteria, had initially planned to invest £3m into the project – which is being spearheaded by Severn Tidal Energy.
However, in what would be a huge vote of confidence in a tidal barrage – which would generate at least 5% of the UK’s electricity requirements – the investor is now looking to plough £200m into the company which was incorporated earlier this year. Read more...
Pic Andrew James 06 12 11 Lavenock Point and Sully Island. Severn Estuary, tide, waves
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Wave, tidal worth $10.1bn in 2020
The global wave and tidal energy market could be worth $10.1bn in 2020, a report claims. Transparency Market Research reports that the sector was valued at $25m last year with more than 200 companies operating in it.
The study Wave and Tidal Energy Market: Global Industry Analysis predicts major developments in wave and tidal stream plants in Europe, although South Korea is expected to grow fastest in terms of tidal barrage operations.
The report stresses that currently, only tidal barrages are capable of generating returns on investments through the sale of electricity. Read more
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Estuary flood defence project put on hold for at least 25 years
Controversial plans to flood hundreds of acres of the North Somerset coastline to re-align flood defences have been put on hold – for the next 25 years at least.
The Environment Agency announced proposals in 2011 to realign the flood defences between Clevedon and Kewstoke as part of its Severn Estuary management plan, bringing them up to a mile further inland to create an area of mudflat and saltmarsh habitat. The work – which would have affected a two-mile stretch of the coast – would have been carried out in two phases over the next 50 years as part of the agency’s overall scheme to manage flood risk along the Severn Estuary. Read more...
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'River Severn must be dredged', business hit by regular flooding says
Businessmen in Sandhurst are calling on authorities to dredge the River Severn to alleviate flood risks. A build-up of silt is causing river levels to rise rapidly during heavy downpours, often resulting in severe flooding.
Family firm Ronson Reclaim, which operates from the banks of the river, floods every year causing havoc for the business. Director Dave Jones said: “The situation is getting worse. The authorities have worked on the flood defences around Tewkesbury, Worcester and Upton-on-Severn but what that means is that all that water comes to us. But they won’t explain why they won’t dredge the river around here. We flood twice a year and we end up in up to 20ft of water. It means we are out of business for two months while the water subsides.” Read more
Dave Jones from Ronson Reclaim in the yard of the business during the most recent floods
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Severn River Basin District: flood risk management plan (FRMP) scoping report
Over the next two years, the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales will be undertaking considerable planning work, culminating in the publication of Flood Risk Management Plans (FRMPs) and updated River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs). Together, these plans will shape important decisions, direct considerable investment and action and deliver significant benefits to society and the environment. Read the full report here
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EU Maritime Spatial Planning Directive adopted
The EU General Affairs Council has adopted legislation to improve the planning of maritime activities. The new Maritime Spatial Planning Directive will help Member States develop and coordinate various activities taking place at sea so that they are as efficient and sustainable as possible. This means that the directive is now adopted. It will enter into force 20 days following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. Read more...
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Coastal Access in Somerset: Brean Down to Minehead
On 10 July 2014 the Secretary of State announced his decision to approve a stretch of the England Coast Path in Somerset between Brean and Minehead.
Work is now underway to prepare the new stretch of coast path for public use. The first step is to contact owners and occupiers of the affected land to discuss the design and location of any new infrastructure which is needed, such as signs and gates. When preparations are complete, new access rights will come into force along the route and adjoining spreading room. Read more...
Towards Minehead © Glenn Martin/Somerset County Council
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Coastal access on the Severn Estuary: Aust to Brean Down
Natural England has now started to investigate how they can improve coastal access along an 80 km stretch of the Severn Estuary between Aust and Brean Down. They expect the new access to be ready towards the end of 2016.
The stretch includes parts of South Gloucestershire, Bristol, North Somerset and Somerset. Officers from these authorities are providing expert local advice and helping to ensure there is full consultation with local interests during the development of the route. Read more...
Fossil hunting at Aust © Andrew Chester/Natural England
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EU fisheries policy 'a failure', concludes UK review
The EU's Common Fisheries Policy failed to achieve its central objectives, the government's review of the balance of power between the UK and the EU has concluded.
Those submitting evidence to the review "overwhelmingly" felt it had not successfully maintained fish stocks, the government said. This had prompted "significant debate on how well the UK's national interest is served" by the policy, it added. But recent reforms had helped, it said. Read more
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No country will escape climate impacts, warns Ministry of Defence
The world’s militaries face a sharp increase in disaster relief and humanitarian work due to climate change, says the Ministry of Defence in a new study. Compiled by the Development, Concepts and Doctrine Centre, a department within the MOD, Global Strategic Trends – Out to 2045 aims to inform government officials developing long term plans.
Few countries will escape the consequences of extreme weather events, with water and food shortages combined with a soaring global population highlighted as a specific concern. Read more...
Royal Navy Ice Patrol Vessel HMS Protector cuts through the mist in Antarctica, a region set to change as temperatures rise (Pic: MOD/Flickr)
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Severn Estuary Marine Licence applications
Details of Marine Licence applications under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 received and determined by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and Natural Resources Wales (NRW) can be found on the MMO website for projects in English waters and the NRW website for projects in welsh waters. Applications received/determined recently include:
- RNLI - Burnham On Sea - Emergency Launch and Recovery Works
- Risborough Development Ltd- Newport - Dredge and Disposal
Information on projects submitted to the Planning Inspectorate can be found on their website. Projects within the Severn Estuary currently include:
- Oldbury New Nuclear Power Station by Horizon Nuclear Power. A Nuclear Power Station using Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR) technology. Comprising of up to three nuclear reactors with a combined expected output of about 3300 MW.
- Avon Power Station 950 MW output by Scottish Power Gas Fired Power Station 950 MW output
- Hinkley Point C Connection by National Grid National Grid Overhead Lines connector
- Seabank 3 CCGT by SSE plc - Two CCGT (combined cycle gas turbine) units and supporting associated infrastructure.
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Policy Updates and Newsletters
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July 2014
- Cardiff Bay Beach - 25th July - 31st August - Discover how the Roald Dahl Plas has been transformed with a giant beach, paddling pool, live music, traditional seaside rides and plenty of activities for the whole family to enjoy. Read more….
- Severn Bore – the following website provides spectators and surfers with everything they need to know about the Severn Bore including times, dates, star rating and viewing locations. http://www.thesevernbore.co.uk/
Call for Articles
If you have any information or news that you think should be included in our next E-News then please get in touch: severn@cardiff.ac.uk. We are always on the lookout for information for our monthly E-News as well as being able to publicise it through our Twitter and Facebook accounts. We’d be particularly keen to hear about news in your area including:
- Development proposals and planning updates,
- Local Community projects,
- Upcoming community events,
- Opportunities to volunteer around the Estuary.
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Flood insurance: regulations for the Flood Reinsurance Scheme
The UK Government announced in June 2013 that it was taking forward the Flood Reinsurance Scheme (Flood Re) as the preferred approach to addressing the availability and affordability of flood insurance.
The Flood Re Scheme will ensure that domestic property insurance continues to be widely available and affordable in areas of flood risk without placing unsustainable costs on wider policyholders or the taxpayer. Flood Re will provide transitional support to households at flood risk over a 25 year period as part of a gradual transition towards more risk-reflective prices; this will provide time for choices to be made and risk management action to be taken. Further information on Flood Re is provided in the Short Guide to Flood Re in an Annex of the Consultation Document.
This consultation is being conducted by the UK Government. Financial services including insurance are reserved matters and the territorial extent of this consultation covers the UK insurance market and is therefore UK-wide in scope. Read more…
South Gloucestershire Policies, sites and places DPD
The Policies Sites & Places Plan is the final document in completing the South Gloucestershire Local Plan and will set out new planning policies for the whole area including your local community. Consultation on the Draft Plan runs until 28 August and there are over 20 events are being held across the district. Read more…..
Forest of Dean Allocations Plan
The Allocations Plan will show how the proposals in the Core Strategy will be implemented. Together with the Core Strategy and the Cinderford Northern Quarter Area Action Plan (CNQAAP) it will form the new Local Plan for the Forest of Dean.
The primary role of the Allocations Plan is to provide the detail of how and where policies in the Core Strategy will be implemented. It will contain allocations for development but also protective designations and will also include revised defined settlement boundaries. Read more…
South Gloucestershire Statement of Community Involvement
The Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) explains how everyone can be involved in the preparation of new planning policy documents and in consultation on planning applications. The council adopted its first SCI (in May 2008). Since this time a number of changes have been made to the legislative framework within which the SCI operates and also to internal procedures within the council. These changes have made it necessary for us to refresh and update its SCI. Read more….
South Gloucestershire Draft Policies, Sites and Places (PSP) Plan
Following the approval of by the Council’s Policy and Resources Committee on 9 June, The Draft Plan (including amendments agreed by the Committee) and supporting Sustainability Appraisal are now out for public consultation until 28 August. This document will contain detailed planning policies to manage new development, allocate smaller scale (non strategic) sites for various types of development, and identify the vision and objectives of local communities for their respective area, including future development, consistent with the government’s localism principles. A number of consultation events have been scheduled across South Gloucestershire, at which Council officers will be available to answer any questions you might have on the Draft Plan and what it proposes for your area.
Gloucestershire County Council Minerals Local Plan Site Options and Draft Policy Framework
Since the current Gloucestershire Minerals Local Plan was adopted in 2003, national planning policy and legislation has changed and a new Minerals Local Plan is required to be consistent with the new legislation. Two earlier consultations on a Minerals Core Strategy were held in 2006 (Issues and Options) and in 2008 (Preferred Options). The outcomes from these earlier consultations provided the starting point for preparation of the new plan. The consultation begins on 23rd June 2014 and runs until 18th August 2014 at 5pm Read more..
Consultation on Proposal for Underground Access for the Extraction of Gas, Oil or Geothermal Energy
This is a government consultation on proposals to reform the procedure for gaining underground access to oil or gas deposits and geothermal energy. This consultation closes at 15 August 2014 11:45pm Read more
Severn Estuary Partnership consultations webpage
There are always new consultations regularly taking place around the Severn Estuary. We have developed a section on our website that will keep you abreast of the latest consultation developments. To find out more, go to our new Consultations Page. If you know of any relevant consultation that is not highlighted through our consultation page please email us.
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