Marine Planning Stakeholder Reference Group meeting: 15 July 2026

Eluned Jones (Chair, Welsh Government), Gemma Wheeler, Megan Nicholas, Char Lewis, Paul Jones (Welsh Government), Paige Minahan, Helen Bloomfield, Karren Perrow, Katherine Griffith, Lee Murray (NRW), Olivia Ross, Richard Shelmerdine (JNCC), Ellie Hoad (MMO), Adrian Judd (Cefas), Tristan Bromley (The Crown Estate), Jacques Villemot (Rewilding Britain), Tom Luddington (Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum), Shaun Gaffey (RSPB), Chloe Wenman, Alex Curd (Marine Conservation Society), John Wrottesley (European Subsea Cables Association), Georgia Boston (British Marine Aggregate Producers Association), Jonathan Monk (Milford Haven Port Authority), Shea Buckland-Jones (WWF), Kate Fotnam, Cloe Evans (Royal Yachting Association), Nick Salter (Maritime and Coastguard Agency), Mark Herbert (Associated British Ports), Mark Gray (Welsh Fisherman’s Association), Tom O’Connor (National Grid)

Chair, Welsh Government

Eluned welcomed new and returning members to the Marine Planning Stakeholder Reference Group (MPSRG) and initiated introductions. 

Eluned Jones, Welsh Government 

Eluned provided background on the recently elected Plaid Cymru government, introducing the Cabinet Ministers and Deputy Ministers. She highlighted that the portfolio of Llyr Gruffydd, Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability, encompasses marine planning.  

In their manifesto, Plaid Cymru included a commitment on developing the marine planning framework. Ministers are currently working to deliver the First 100 Days plan. 

Eluned provided an overview of the existing marine planning framework in Wales. This consists of:

• formal planning material, such as the Welsh National Marine Plan, Welsh National Marine Plan: Implementation Guidance, Marine Planning Notices, and Marine Cabinet Statements, and
• supplementary planning material, such as Technical Statements, Sector Locational Guidance, and the Wales Marine Planning Portal

Formal planning material is a material consideration in decision making, whilst supplementary planning material underpins and supports the application of Welsh National Marine Plan policies. Cross-border guidance and documents issued by regulators and public authority decision makers also support and help implement the marine planning framework in Wales. 

Eluned invited questions on the existing marine planning framework and encouraged discussion on how this may be developed. She highlighted that progressing any suggestions raised would be the decision of the Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability. 

Themes discussed include: 

• support for the current framework and direction of travel
• the need to promote an adaptive framework 
• spatial prioritisation / prescription
• cumulative effects
• community engagement

Tom Luddington, Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum

Tom highlighted Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum’s vision, mission, and values, providing insight into the organisation. 

Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum:

• promotes sustainable recreation work, which includes initiatives such as Wild Seas Wales 
• has worked with Natural Resources Wales and wider partners to update the Pembrokeshire marine code, providing new content on marine biosecurity, improved tools, new messaging widgets, and marina scoping
• introduced a Coastal Coordinator role to undertake engagement with coastal communities and encourage involvement
• plays a large role in Marine Energy Wales, where focus is placed on marine renewable energy
• engages communities, ensuring that renewable energy promotes social value for local communities
• is exploring coastal climate adaptation through a coastal scoping study at Saundersfoot and Pembrokeshire adaptation toolkit

Tom welcomed questions on work undertaken by Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum.

Jacques Villemot, Rewilding Britain 

Rewilding Britain recently commissioned a literature review to explore the impact of offshore wind on marine rewilding.

Jacques highlighted some of the principles of rewilding. He then outlined some of the ecological impacts of offshore wind, suggesting that these are far-ranging and vary across a windfarm’s construction, operation, and decommissioning phases. Opportunities can also be created from offshore wind development, with pathways to blue jobs, education, and community empowerment emerging. Community benefit funds, community ownership, and habitat management programmes can facilitate this.

Jacques concluded that offshore wind development that triggers a system change for all is dependent on several factors, such as meaningful community involvement, improved ocean literacy, and seascape scale rewilding. 

Jacques invited questions on the literature review and its findings.

Paige Minahan, Natural Resources Wales (NRW)

Paige explained that Resilience of Welsh Seas and Coasts / RoWSC brings together various workstreams under a single programme to shape, drive, and deliver enhanced resilience of Welsh seas in line with the Environment (Wales) Act and its Section 6 duty. RoWSC focuses on the co-development of tools and communicating where significant opportunities to enhance marine resilience in Wales lie.

RoWSC aims to:

• establish collective understanding of priority actions and issues for achieving resilience in Welsh seas
• increase funding and investment for priority issues
• support wider organisations with their work
• inform Marine Fund Cymru and other financial mechanisms 
• support marine planning and biodiversity policy
• create more focused delivery of restoration and recovery projects

No other business.

Meeting close.