How to prepare a band 3 marine licence application
Apply for a band 3 marine licence if your work meets any of the following criteria:
- will cost at least £1 million (including VAT)
- needs an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
- includes both construction and dredging
- involves scuttling
- involves use of explosives
Check how to apply
You can apply online for a band 3 marine licence, except for:
- dredging
- disposal of dredged material
- marine aggregates (minerals)
If your application involves these activities, or you do not want to apply online, use the relevant band 3 marine licence form(s):
- Marine works licence application form [Word, 210.7 KB]
- Dredge and disposal marine licence application form [Word, 219.3 KB]
- Marine aggregates (minerals) licence application form [Word, 1.3 MB]
What to include
All band 3 applications must include:
- a method statement
- a Water Framework Directive (WFD) assessment
- a biosecurity risk assessment [Word, 210.9 KB]
- a Welsh National Marine Plan (WNMP) signposting document, [Excel, 25.2 KB] showing how the project aligns with marine policies
- construction plans and sectional drawings
- a map showing the boundary of the entire area you will be working in (we call this the licence area)
Find out how to produce a biosecurity risk assessment [PDF, 212.1 KB].
Public register confidentiality
We publish marine licence applications on our public register.
If you want any part of your application to be confidential, you must explain why.
We will decide if there is a valid reason to keep the information confidential.
Applications needing an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
Band 3 applications that need an EIA must include an Environmental Statement (ES).
Work involving aquaculture
All aquaculture applications must include a:
- biosecurity risk assessment [Word, 210.9 KB]
- navigational risk assessment
- marine mammal entanglement plan
Find out how to produce a biosecurity risk assessment [PDF, 212.1 KB].
Work affecting a shoreline
If the work changes or maintains the current shoreline position, you must:
- identify which shoreline management plan policy unit is applicable
- consider a coastal squeeze assessment
Work involving dredging or disposal of dredged material
All dredge and disposal applications must include sediment sampling and analysis results [Excel, 521.6 KB].
Work involving aggregates or minerals
All marine aggregates (minerals) applications must include a coastal impact assessment.
How long it takes
Submit your band 3 application as early as possible, as we cannot give a timeframe for a decision.
A marine licence will require you to carry out a number of tasks before you are allowed to start work.
These tasks may include:
- notifying relevant people or organisations
- submitting additional documents for us to approve
If you need more advice
You should get advice from us if you need help preparing your application.