Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon – Marine Licence Determination - FAQs

Here are some of the questions we are often asked about our role with Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon. For more generic questions on marine licensing including what needs a Marine Licence and what general factors are considered in determination please see: and our Marine Licensing webpages:

Who is responsible for determining a Marine Licence?

In Wales, the Permitting Service at Natural Resources Wales carries out the role of determining marine licence applications on behalf of Welsh Ministers.

Are you still accepting consultation responses?

The initial public consultation took place between 7 March 2014 and 25 April 2014. A consultation on further information supplied by the applicant in July 2016 took place between 29 July 2016 and 15 September 2016. That consultation has now closed and we are no longer able to accept additional responses.

Why has it taken so long to determine?

This application is particularly complex. We have received a vast amount of evidence from the applicant, as well as our own experts, and have a duty to make sure that all evidence is thoroughly scrutinised before a decision is made. We continue to assess the information we have received to help us make our decision.

We endeavour to avoid unnecessary delays, but it is also important that we make a sound decision, based on the evidence available to us.

When will the licence be determined?

At this stage it is difficult to estimate an exact date due to the significant level of additional work required. This will include completion of the Habitats Regulations Assessment and Water Framework Directive Assessments and any necessary statutory consultation requirements. We are aware of the need to complete the process thoroughly and as quickly as we can.

Why does Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon need multiple permissions?

A Marine Licence only covers work carried out as described by the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. Other consents are also required under other legislation. In this case, Tidal Lagoon (Swansea Bay) Plc also requires the following consents:

  • a Development Consent Order issued by Department of Energy & Climate Change (now Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy). This was issued in June 2015.
  • permission from the Crown Estate, as landowners of the seabed.

Is that it?

This is not an exhaustive list. There are also other consents that may be required from relevant bodies. It is the responsibility of the developer to ensure all relevant consents are obtained before work begins.

How will I find out when a decision is made?

We will produce a decision document that summarises our proposed decision, sets out the process we followed and how we’ve taken comments into account. We will publish our final decision, and how we made that decision, on our website. This will be advertised in the local press, directing people to our website.