171.This section requires the marine plan authorities to keep under review matters which may affect their functions of identifying marine plan areas, and preparing plans for them. This is to ensure that marine plan authorities stay up-to-date with what is happening in their region of the marine area, which they need to know about in order to make effective planning decisions in their region.
172.Subsection (2) sets out a non-exhaustive list of the kinds of things which a marine plan authority ought to keep under review.
173.Subsection (3) requires an authority, on a review, to consider how the matters described in subsection (2) might be expected to change, and the effect that any such changes might have on the authority’s region and its sustainable development.
174.Subsection (4) makes clear that the reference in subsection (1) to “cultural” includes “historical and archaeological” characteristics.