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Orkney Marine Planning Advisory Group

OMPAG: AG4 Minutes: 5 April 2022: 10.00 – 11.00

Key summary

  • Please participate in the leisure survey: www.orkney.gov.uk/seeker
  • Draft Plan for comments by 18th May 2022
  • OMPAG workshop 10th June 2022 (in person)

Present: Roddy MacKay (vice chair); Shona Turnbull; James Green; Daniel Morris; Victoria Clements; Peter Watson; Josephine Wells; Dave Thomson; Calum Stephen; Jonathan Swale; Sinead Sheridan

Apologies: Eileen Summers; David Sawkins; Gavin Barr; Janet Davies; Penny Coles; Joanne Porter; Penny Martin; Brian Kynoch, Jenni Kakkonen.

ITEM 1: Welcome

RM welcomed everyone to the meeting and checked for agreement that the minutes of the previous OMPAG meeting (held 19th Nov 2021) were a true record, no further points were raised and all action points were addressed, so the minutes were formally agreed. He outlined that as Cllr Graham Sinclair was standing down as a councillor at the forthcoming elections, he would no longer be chairing the group.

ITEM 2: Update on progress by ST

a) OMPAG members’ input

OMPAG members were thanked for their input to the 12 sub-groups run between Dec 2021 – Feb 2022; the feedback has been incorporated into the draft Plan. It was noted that many members had looked at polices in isolation in the sub-groups, so will now see many of the comments raised are addressed either in the policy they raised them in, or within another area in the plan (as discussed in Item 3 below).

b) SEA

The Scoping is done; the comments received from the consultation authorities will help inform the draft SEA. However, the officer that deals with SEA, among other things, Eileen Summers, is leaving soon, so this may pose quite a challenge if the post is not filled quickly.

c) Coastal and Marine Recreation Survey – Maptionnaire

DM outlined the survey, which runs until 27th June, 2022. It will allow participants to digitally map key areas important to them for coastal and marine recreation. Members are encouraged to participate and spread the word.

d) Island community engagement visits

The OIC marine planning team will be visiting Stronsay, Hoy, Sanday and Westray to engage with local communities about the plan and marine planning issues. They will also be going into schools to outline general marine issues for Orkney and hear about local issues. AG members asked to promote among their organizations.

ITEM 3: Next steps: ST outlined

a) Draft Plan for comments by 18th May 2022

Now all the feedback on sections 1, 2 and 3 have been received from the OMPAG members, the draft of RMP will be passed on to them in the next week or so, for c. six weeks to re-review it, but in its entirety this time. The deadline for responses will be 18th May, 2022. Once the feedback on the draft plan is received, members will be free of obligations for the summer, other than the opportunity to attend the workshop, as outlined below.

DT asked if the pre-consultation draft Plan can be circulated among OMPAG members. For clarification, yes, it is OK to circulate it to members represented by the various organisations in OMPAG, but it is not yet for wider public consultation. This is an early opportunity to view the draft Plan in its entirety, prior to the formal, public consultation, proposed for Summer 2023.

In response to a query from Sinead Sheridan, the key milestones in the regional marine plan making process were highlighted including OIC committee endorsement of the consultation draft plan in November/December 2022, approval by Scottish Ministers in Spring 2023, a formal public consultation in Summer 2023, OIC Committee endorsement of the final plan in November 2023 and adoption of the final plan by Scottish Ministers in 2024.

b) OMPAG workshop 10th June 2022 (in person)

As all of the meetings to date have had to take place virtually, as a great way to meet up, we will be organizing a face to face get together in the Town Hall, Kirkwall.

  • In person workshop 10th June: Opportunity for OMPAG members to meet in person.
  • Lunch will be provided.
  • The Marine Spatial Planning Challenge game will be facilitated by Sarah Brown (C2W consulting). This physical large board game is based on scenario planning and will allow members a great opportunity to mix and catch up and engage with marine planning issues as group.
  • If sufficient numbers, two parallel sessions may run; one for the MSP game; one for various presentations.

ITEM 4: AOCB

a)

RM thanked members for their participation and attendance.

b)

JG noted that as many of the OMPAG members would be users of the Plan, their help will ensure it is a coherent and useable document.

c)

Going forward, RM checked if members were content to continue with OIC providing a chair for the group, in accordance with the terms of reference; no change was proposed. Following the elections, elected members will be allocated to the Development & Infrastructure Committee, and proposed for the role of OMPAG chair. RM also proposed that the vice chair role should be filled by a councillor.

d)

Just a gentle reminder that all OMPAG members are representatives of their various organisations, and as such, should update their members on progress accordingly.

e)

C.S. asked about the progress of the sensitivities and constraints heatmapping project for finfish aquaculture. DM explained a document outlining the anticipated method and scores is currently being developed and will be shared with the industry representatives and interested AG members from late May/early June.

f)

ST thanks Cllr Graham Sinclair for his helpful chairing of the OMPAG group over the last year.