UK: Fivium Lands Contract to Modernise UK Marine Licensing Processes

 

Fivium has been awarded a contract to deliver an IT system to support the modernisation and consolidation of UK marine licensing processes. The project will align business processes and IT systems supporting UK marine licences to enable greater transparency for users and the public.

Fivium and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) will work together to deliver a fully centralised system to handle the processing of new marine licences which from 6 April 2011 will replace the multiple licences that currently regulate a number of specific activities in the marine area.

Fivium developed and now maintain the oil and gas portal for the Department of Energy and Climate Change which has been widely praised by the regulated community. The MMO is breaking new ground in adopting an already established, tried and tested system rather than commissioning from new.

Anthony Ashton, Director at Fivium says: “Fivium is very excited to be working with the MMO. The new system will remove the complexity and duplication which has grown over the years with one complete end-to-end solution. This will provide a far greater service for applicants”.

The system will allow users to submit applications that cover the entire life of a development. It will also include a broad range of activities – including dredging, construction and offshore wind farms.

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has been established to make a significant contribution to sustainable development in the marine area and to promote the UK government’s vision for clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse oceans and seas.

Before the introduction of the Marine and Coastal Act 2009 the licensing processes in the marine environment were complex with applicants at times requiring multiple licences and permits before legally being allowed to carry out activities.

The project is scheduled for completion April 2011.

About Marine Management Organisation (MMO)

MMO is an executive non-departmental public body (NDPB) established and given powers under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009, bringing together for the first time key marine decision-making powers and delivery mechanisms.

The Marine Act consolidates and modernises two existing Acts: the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 and the Coast Protection Act 1949 removing the complexity and overlap by introducing a single marine licence.

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Source: fivium, February 21, 2011