The Government's principal legislative tools for protecting coastal artefacts of historic importance are the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973, the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979, or the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, depending on the nature and whereabouts of the particular artefact. The draft Heritage Protection Bill contains provisions for a new unified legal framework for protecting such assets in future.
The draft Marine Bill will introduce a new system of marine planning, which will enable Government to communicate our policies on heritage in coastal and marine areas, and clarify the locations and obligations attached to sites of historic interest. The draft Marine Bill will make clear that the duty of licensing authorities to have regard to the need to protect the environment when they make decisions includes the protection of sites of historic or archaeological interest. Where appropriate, conditions to do this could be included in the terms of a marine licence.