Welsh legislation in a new era: A stakeholder perspective for coastal management

Abstract

In Wales, there has been a concerted change in policy direction through the adoption of a new suite of legislation, presenting a mechanism for affecting change in how social, economic and environmental issues are addressed. From a coastal perspective, these Acts have the potential to improve management, resulting in sustainable, long-term solutions to the challenges facing Welsh coastal areas. Despite the positive rhetoric presented alongside these changes, their impact remains to be seen. In order to realise their expected success, engagement with practitioners charged with implementation is crucial to understanding the opportunities, challenges, successes and failures. Using saltmarshes as a lens to examine this new legislation, this paper presents the findings of a series of interviews with stakeholders from north Wales, exploring coastal practitioners’ views of what the new Acts mean for them, identifying potential challenges and opportunities in the context of coastal management. A SWOT analysis informs a discussion of how the successful application of this innovative, ground-breaking suite of legislation may be achieved. The research found stakeholders to be generally positive about the new legislation, and the changes to coastal management that they signal across Wales. Opportunities included supporting greater collaboration, cross-sector working, interdisciplinarity and the potential to provide a blueprint for the rest of the UK as it navigates Brexit. Despite this positivity, concerns were expressed regarding funding and staff resources, lack of adequate support around implementation, among others. This integrated approach clearly stands as an opportunity to bridge traditional sectoral gaps instigating more effective stakeholder dialogue.