Marine Management Organisation (MMO): Role, Leadership and When You Need a Licence

If your work is in English waters, the MMO is the body you will deal with. It licenses marine work there, sets fishing quotas and produces the marine plans. If you are in Wales or Scotland it is the wrong door, and the last section names the right one. The marine licensing hub collects the guides on permission for work at sea, and the UK marine licence guide covers fees, steps and penalties in full.

What the MMO is

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) was created in 2009 by the Marine and Coastal Access Act. It is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra). It was established on 1 April 2010.

The statute itself is short on the point. Section 1 of the Act provides that there is to be a body known as the Marine Management Organisation, with the functions conferred on it by or under the Act or any other enactment. A following section gives it a general objective. It is the duty of the MMO to secure that its functions are exercised so that activities in its area are managed, regulated or controlled with the objective of making a contribution to the achievement of sustainable development. In pursuit of that objective the MMO may take any action it considers necessary or expedient for furthering any social, economic or environmental purposes.

On its about page, its purpose is to protect and enhance the marine environment and support UK economic growth by enabling sustainable marine activities and development. Its mission is to act as England’s marine manager, protecting and developing seas, coasts and communities for the benefit of generations to come. The MMO is independent of government as a non-departmental public body. Marine licensing elsewhere in the UK is run by other bodies, set out below.

What the MMO does

For seabed work, the MMO’s job is marine licensing: planning and licensing for marine construction, deposits and dredging that may have an environmental, economic or social impact. It also produces the marine plans that include all marine activities, including those it does not directly regulate. Its other duties are fisheries and pollution: managing fishing fleet sizes and quotas, making marine nature conservation byelaws and dealing with marine pollution emergencies, including oil spills. Those sit outside the seabed-minerals question this site follows.

Do I need an MMO licence?

The licence duty comes from the Act, not from the MMO. A person must not carry on a licensable marine activity, or cause or permit any other person to do so, except in accordance with a marine licence granted by the appropriate licensing authority. The Act lists what counts as licensable. Three entries matter most for the seabed: constructing, altering or improving any works within the UK marine licensing area; using a vehicle, vessel, aircraft, marine structure or floating container to remove any substance or object from the sea bed there; and carrying out any form of dredging, whether or not any material leaves the sea or sea bed.

The MMO is the licensing authority for England and for activities taking place from British vessels outside UK waters. It is responsible for marine licensing in English waters, Northern Ireland offshore waters, and some activities in other parts of the world. Checking whether you need permission from the MMO, or whether an activity is exempt, is your responsibility before you start work. You also need permission from the MMO for a marine wildlife licence if your activity may kill, capture or disturb protected species or habitats.

Failing to comply with a licence condition is an offence under the Act, punishable by a fine not exceeding £50,000. On conviction on indictment the penalty is a fine or imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or both.

How an application runs

To apply for a marine licence, register on the MMO’s online system and set up an online account. The MMO aims to make a decision on most applications within 13 weeks of an application being validated. Some low-risk activities may be eligible for self-service marine licensing, and some low-volume dredging activities may be suitable for the accelerated licensing process. In England appeals are heard by the Planning Inspectorate on behalf of the Secretary of State. The MMO’s GOV.UK page links to the public register of marine licence applications and decisions.

Marine planning

Marine planning is the process used to manage the use of marine resources in a sustainable and coordinated manner. It ensures the right activities happen in the right place, at the right time and in the right way. The MMO produces the plans.

There are 6 Marine Plans covering 11 marine plan areas. The inshore marine plan area ranges from mean high water springs out to 12 nm. The offshore marine plan area ranges from beyond 12nm out to the boundary of the Exclusive Economic Zone, which is up to 200 nautical miles. The development of the plans is done through a 12 stage process.

What the South West plan says about extraction

Cornwall falls in the South West marine plan areas. Its extraction policies are written for marine aggregates, the sand and gravel industry, and they matter to anyone proposing a different seabed use nearby:

The high-potential areas are those defined by the British Geological Survey.

The plans bind in practice through licensing. When you apply for a licence or approval you need to show how you have considered an adopted marine plan or the Marine Policy Statement. You should explain how the marine plan supports your activity and how your project will contribute to achieving its objectives. Marine plans apply only in their own area, but if a proposed activity may affect the plan area, that should be acknowledged and considered in the application and decision making.

Who runs the MMO

The MMO has around 500 people. It combines its Newcastle upon Tyne and London operations with a local presence around the English coastline. The head office is at Tyneside House, Skinnerburn Rd, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 7AR.

When this guide was written, the MMO’s GOV.UK page listed Les Philpott as Chair and Elysia McCaffrey as Chief Executive Officer. Tony Delahunty OBE is listed as Deputy Chair and Peter Clark as Director of Operations. The helpline is 0300 123 1032, open 9am - 4:30pm Monday to Thursday and 9am - 4pm on Friday.

Where the MMO stops: Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

The MMO is responsible for marine licensing in English waters, Northern Ireland offshore waters and some activities in other parts of the world. Other regulators cover the rest:

For the full picture across the UK, see the UK marine licence guide, and for what it means for tin on the seabed, see offshore tin mining in Cornwall.