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Environmental assessment
The Orkney Islands Regional Marine Plan has been supported by a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), which considers how the Plan could affect the environment.
SEA is a process used to identify and assess potential environmental effects at an early stage of plan development. It helps ensure environmental considerations are built into decision-making and provides opportunities for expert input and public consultation. The assessment considered the potential environmental impacts of implementing the Regional Marine Plan, including any cumulative effects, and its findings helped inform the development of the Plan and its policies.
Following consultation and adoption of the Plan, monitoring will continue to identify any significant environmental effects and, where necessary, inform future action to avoid or reduce impacts.
Related resources
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Strategic environmental assessment environmental report
This document contains a strategic environmental assessment of the proposed Orkney Islands Regional Marine Plan, which guides sustainable development and activities in coastal waters out to 12 nautical miles. It reviews climate change, biodiversity, water, coastal processes, landscapes, cultural heritage, communities and resources, using environmental baseline data. It assesses alternatives and likely effects, finding mostly positive outcomes where policies and mitigation measures are applied, while noting some uncertain or mixed impacts. It also sets out monitoring and next steps towards adoption.
Please be aware that this summary has been generated using AI.
Habitats Regulations Appraisal
The Regional Marine Plan has also been subject to a Habitats Regulations Appraisal (HRA), which considers whether the Plan could have an adverse effect on internationally important nature conservation sites, including Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) found in and around Orkney. The HRA was carried out in consultation with NatureScot and other relevant organisations.
Related resources
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Habitats Regulations Appraisal
This document contains the draft Habitats Regulations Appraisal Record for the Orkney Islands Regional Marine Plan. It assesses the plan’s possible effects on protected European marine and coastal sites, including policies for aquaculture, ports, infrastructure, renewable energy and tourism. After applying safeguards, Orkney Islands Council concludes that the plan would not harm the integrity of any protected site, either alone or alongside other plans. The draft was published for consultation from 1 August to 25 October 2024.
Please be aware that this summary has been generated using AI.