The planning system, coastal regeneration

National planning

While there is no national spatial plan for England, topic-based Planning Policy Guidance notes (PPGs), and more recent Planning Policy Statements (PPSs), set out the government’s planning policy.

PPS25, ‘Development and Flood Risk’ (2006), includes policy advice for regional and local authorities on appraising and managing coastal flood risk in a spatial policymaking and decision-making context. The government has recently consulted on a draft ‘Development and Coastal Change’ PPS (July 2009) that focuses on coastal protection. There is no specific policy guidance on coastal regeneration. This is included in generic regeneration policy such as PPS3 ‘Housing’ and the emerging PPS4 ‘Planning for Prosperous Communities’.

Planning policy for the coast is evolving into a framework that dovetails with planning policy on flood protection, along with the emerging river basin management plans and updated Shoreline Management Plans. Planning policy focuses on long-term adaptation, and how spatial planning should provide for the reshaping of settlements vulnerable to managed coastal change or sea level rise and associated flooding.

Most coastal communities are protected under the ‘hold the line’ regime in Shoreline Management Plans (SMPs), and physically at least, regarded by national planning policy much the same as inland towns. However, SMPs are increasingly considering managed realignment in the longer term (50–100 years) given the impacts of climate change and sea level rise.