Responsibilities by organisation


Your local authority external link

  • Abandoned vehicles
  • Air pollution from vehicles, households, and some small industries/businesses.
  • Aquaculture works licences (Orkney and Shetland only)
  • Checking private drinking water supplies
  • Cleaning up fly-tipping (in some cases)
  • Coastal protection
  • Contaminated land
    –    identifying sites
    –    arranging for sites to be cleaned up
  • Dog fouling and noise
  • Environmental health and food hygiene
  • Flooding
    –    providing sandbags and emergency equipment
    –    flooding from drains, sewers, streams or ditches
    –    flood prevention
  • Litter
  • Litter, public health and facilities at beaches
  • Nature conservation (through local biodiversity action plans)
  • Pest control
  • Planning permission
  • Road obstructions
  • Smell from sewage treatment
  • Smoke and smell
  • Waste collection
  • Your area waste plan


Your local police external link

  • Abandoned vehicles
  • Road obstructions


British Waterways external link

  • Canals


Crown Estate external link

  • Development consent for fish farms (Special arrangements exist in Orkney and Shetland)


Drinking Water Quality Regulator external link

  • Drinking water quality


Environment and Heritage Service external link

  • Environmental issues in Northern Ireland

Environment Agency external link

  • Environmental issues in England and Wales


Fish Health Inspectorate (part of Fisheries Research Serviceexternal link   

  • Fish health


Food Standards Agency external link

  • Food safety


Health and Safety Executive external link  

  • Safety at nuclear installations
  • Safety at major accident hazard sites (jointly with SEPA)


Historic Scotland external link  

  • Built environment


Marine Coastguard Agency external link  

  • Pollution from shipping and offshore installations


Scottish Government external link

  • Legislation and policy for the environment in Scotland
  • Navigational consent for fish farms
  • Genetically modified organisms
  • Environmental legislation and initiatives in areas including sustainable development and rural policy
  • Guiding delegated agencies in delivering objectives
  • Liaising with UK government and EC on wider environmental policies

Scottish Natural Heritage external link  

  • Conservation (including Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Special Areas of Conservation etc)
  • Outdoor access – promoting code of practice


Scottish Water external link 

  • Quality and supply of public drinking water
  • Disposing of and treating sewage
  • Flooding from sewers
  • Emptying septic tanks (some private businesses also offer this service)


National Grid external link

  • Gas leaks


UK Government

Waterwatch Scotland external link

  • Represents customers of Scottish Water.