Appendix E - Issues and Objectives Evaluation

Provides information on the issues and appraisal of objectives identified as part of the Plan development.

The Issues, Features and Objective table forms part of Appendix E and has been developed using the information reviewed in the Thematic Review (Appendix D). The table identifies features, and the issues associated with these features, to specify an objective which can be used in the policy development stage of the SMP review process. The coastline, both open coast and within the harbours, has been divided into Policy Development Zones, which may represent groupings of Management Units from the first round SMPs.

The table provides a useful format to record these features and issues in a clear and transparent way and will, through consultation with Client Steering Group members and Key Stakeholders, be used to determine and evaluate the relative importance of each objective. The table has been divided into the following column headings:

Feature

This is defined as something tangible that provides a benefit or service to society in one form or another. The feature relates to the benefit(s) that it provides and the SMP Policy will address objectives that relate to a feature.

Issues associated with feature

This identifies all the issues associated with each feature. Issues may occur where either a feature is at risk from flooding or erosion or where management intervention could impact upon a feature.

Affect Policy?

This is to determine whether the feature and its associated issues have a direct affect on the SMP policy decision. Although an issue may be deemed to be of flood and coastal defence management relevance, it may still not affect policy e.g. offshore dredging or offshore fisheries.

Why is the feature important?

This identifies the actual tangible benefits of the feature, e.g. biological value of a protected habitat.

Who benefits?

This identifies the beneficiaries and could be; individuals, local residents, regional users or national users.

Objectives

For each feature, where potential flood or coastal erosion related issues have been identified, a specific objective has been defined based on the relevant specific issue and the benefits provided by that feature. This objective will then be used in policy development (stage 3 in SMP process).

Evaluating Objectives

The relative importance of the objectives identified for each Policy Development Zones have been evaluated through answering a series of questions:

• At what scale is the benefit important i.e. local, regional, national,

international?

• How important are the benefits to the people who use them?

• Is there enough of the benefit?

• Can the benefit be substituted i.e. replaced at an appropriate scale?

Using the information from the above questions the objectives were than broadly classified by theme and each feature was ranked within the theme for its relative importance, 1 being the highest rank. The following themes were identified:

• Housing and Community facilities (H)
• Commercial and agricultural property (C)
• Infrastructure (I)
• Natural environment (E)
• Heritage (G)
• Landscape (L)
• Recreation (R)

The ranking criteria used for each theme was developed to maximize consistency when considering the various features identified by Stakeholders, Client Steering Group and Elected Members Group. The results of Appendix E feed into subsequent assessments detailed in Appendix G.