Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 Explanatory Notes

Section 90: Compliance notice

276.A person carrying on a licensed activity in a manner that breaches the conditions of the licence may be issued with a notice requiring compliance. Such a notice is called a compliance notice.

277.An enforcement authority, as defined in section 114, may issue a compliance notice in all circumstances where licence conditions have been breached, except where serious harm to either the environment or human health has occurred or is likely to occur, or where the activity has seriously interfered, or is likely seriously to interfere with, legitimate uses of the sea. A compliance notice may be served, for example, in case of a technical breach. The enforcement authority will be able to use other enforcement tools available to it, such as a stop notice or an emergency safety notice, where the breach has led to serious harm or serious interference.

278.A compliance notice must state the enforcement authority’s reasons for issuing the notice, the steps which the enforcement authority requires to be taken, and the period within which any steps required should be completed.

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