Aims

Improved co-ordination, planning and management of the coast are central to C-SCOPE.

Due to population density and the wealth of resources, coastal zones are under continuous and increasing pressure; many activities such as fishing, dredging, shipping, tourism and marine energy are competing within this vital space.

C-SCOPE will create a ‘seamless coastal and marine planning framework’ to suit the demands of professional and non-professional users, following a ‘bottom-up’ approach. The results will allow a more holistic approach to planning, reducing development conflicts and impacts between coast and sea at a local level.

The project is concentrating on three main elements:

1. Developing a Coastal and Marine Spatial Plan, providing a framework for integrating terrestrial and marine planning, the output being:
   
   • Coastal and Marine Spatial Plans for the Marine management Area (MMA) in Dorset (England) and Heist – Zeebrugge (Belgium)
   • A comprehensive seabed map for Dorset MMA
2. Developing tools for achieving sustainable coastal economies and environments, the outputs being:
   
   • Coastal Explorer Planning, a web-based planning tool which will improve the integration of land and sea planning policies
   • New sustainability indicators for Europe, with special attention to indicators for the marine environment
3. Achieving commitment to ICZM through stakeholder engagement the outputs being:
   
   • A Coastal Forum for Belgium
   • Coastal Explorer Interactive, an educational web based information source for public use
   • Coastal Explorer Access Points along the Dorset Coast

Reports will include:

• Report on integrated marine/land planning in West-Flanders and Dorset.
• Coastal planning and management non-technical guide.
• Report detailing the best methodology for effective Stakeholder Engagement.