ABSTRACT
The Solent is centrally positioned on the south coast of England. It is the area of relatively sheltered inshore waters between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight including Southampton Water, several estuaries and Portsmouth, Langstone and Chichester Harbours. It is one of the most important coastal zones in England, for a number of reasons. The planning framework is based largely on the statutory Town and Country Planning system. As for any other coastal zone in the UK, the basic organisational structure for planning and management in the Solent is highly fragmented. The County Council's concern for coastal issues led to the establishment of a dedicated post responsible for the preparation and implementation of the County's coastal strategy, the first of its kind in the country. One of the main recommendations in Hampshire County Council's coastal strategy was that a broadly based co-ordinating agency should be formed for the Solent.
