The UK draft Marine Bill - A new dawn for the marine environment and offshore energy?

摘要

There is much to be commended in the draft Bill insofar as the facilitation of offshore renewables development is concerned but there remains significant uncertainty in much of the Bill's drafting which will need to be ironed out. The retention of the bulk of the section 36 consenting process will be welcomed by industry as will the removal of the need for FEPA and Coast Protection Act consents. The issue of devolution would appear a particularly intractable one, however; much of the benefit that the Bill is likely to bring in terms of rationalising the consents process and rendering it more certain will be nullified if radically different approvals regimes across the various jurisdictions develop in practice.