River basin planning
Delivering the first river basin management plans
Interim reports describing progress in the
implementation of the planned programme of measures for the first
river basin management plans are now available.
These summary reports, for both the Scotland
and Solway Tweed river basin districts, are based on information
submitted to the Commission by SEPA and the Environment Agency.
They outline the work currently underway to meet targets set to
improve the water environment by 2015.
The measures consist of a combination of
regulatory measures, individual initiatives and multi benefit
delivery through partnership working.
It is recognised that improvement in condition
may take time to manifest itself. The current condition of the
water environment in relation to its target condition will be
assessed and published at the end of 2013 in the ‘Current Condition
and Challenges for the Future’ report.
Maintained momentum and action are required as
we move towards the second cycle of river basin planning
(2015-2021). In particular, increased effort and resource is
required to progress measures needed to improve the physical
characteristics of our water environments and work to tackle rural
diffuse pollution.
Please get in touch if you would prefer a hard copy of the
document by emailing: rbmp@sepa.org.uk
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Working together to protect and improve Scotland’s water
environment: Getting involved in developing the
second river basin management plan consultation
The first river basin management plans for Scotland have been
approved, adopted and published. We are now in the process of
developing the second river basin management plan which will be
completed in 2015.
We are currently seeking comments from
public bodies involved in management of the water environment,
together with land and water managers, and commercial users on the
development of the second river basin management plan.
The consultation:
- outlines the timetable and work programme for the development
of the second river basin management plan in 2015;
- highlights the opportunities and structures/groups in place to
enable you to influence the development of the second plan;
- provides you with the opportunity to let us know of any
additional ways in which you would like to get involved in river
basin planning;
- sets out how we propose to develop a second plan that enables
more efficient and integrated management.
You can access the consultations by clicking on the following
links:
Please get in touch if you would prefer a hard copy of the
document by emailing: rbmp@sepa.org.uk
The consultation closes on 28 February 2013. We look forward to
receiving your response.
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Most of Scotland is within the Scotland river basin district,
which is covered by the Scotland river basin management plan (“the
Scotland RBMP”). Following its approval by the Scottish Ministers,
SEPA adopted and published the Scotland RBMP on 22 December
2009.
In the south of Scotland, the major river catchments cross the
border with England and are included in the Solway Tweed river
basin district, which is covered by the Solway Tweed river basin
management plan (“the Solway Tweed RBMP”). The Solway Tweed RBMP
was adopted and published jointly by SEPA and the Environment
Agency on 22 December 2009 too, following its approval by the
Scottish Ministers and the Secretary of State for Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs.
Both plans and supporting documents, along with the
environmental reports and statements produced in connection with
strategic environmental assessment, are
available for inspection free of charge at:
SEPA Corporate Office,
Erskine Court,
The Castle Business Park,
Stirling,
FK9 4TR.
You can view the documents between 09:00 and 17:00 Monday to
Friday or by phoning 01786 457700. The Solway Tweed plan will also
be available at SEPA’s Dumfries office; click here for contact details.
The development of river basin management planning represents a
huge step forward in the way in which we safeguard and improve the
quality of our water environment across Scotland and the Solway
Tweed river basin districts.
These river basin management plans (RBMPs) ensure that public
sector bodies, businesses and individuals work together to protect
the water environment and address significant impacts by
co-ordinating all aspects of water management for the next 6 years.
The plans have been produced as one of the requirements of the
European Union's Water Framework Directive and similar plans are
being put in place across Europe. The plans will be reviewed and
updated in 2015.
The plans are available here:
Any questions or queries on the process can be sent to rbmp@sepa.org.uk
Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)
A Strategic Environmental Assessment to examine the significant
environmental effects of implementing the RBMPs has been
undertaken. The SEA was consulted upon in an “Environmental Report”
that was published alongside the draft RBMPs in December
2008. This is available here. The SEA statement which sets out
how the Environmental Report and any views expressed during the
consultation have been taken into account is available below:
Habitats Regulations Appraisal and Appropriate Assessment
Areas in Scotland protected by law for their European nature
conservation importance, known as Special Areas of Conservation
(SAC) and Special Protection Areas (SPA), must be given special
consideration by organisations making plans that are likely to have
a significant effect on these sites. A statutory appraisal under
the Habitats Regulations 1994 was undertaken for each RBMP. While
the majority of measures being promoted by the RBMPs are likely to
be overwhelmingly positive in their effects on SACs or SPAs, SEPA
concluded that some measures in both Plans were likely to have a
significant effect on such protected areas. SEPA, therefore, in
consultation with Scottish Natural Heritage, undertook a more
detailed assessment, known as an appropriate assessment, for each
plan.
These appropriate assessments identified any measures in the
plans that could have an adverse effect on the integrity of SACs or
SPAs, and proposed mitigation of any adverse effects. This allowed
SEPA to conclude that neither RBMP would have an adverse effect on
the integrity of any SAC or SPA. For the Solway Tweed RBMP, a
matching Habitats Regulations Appraisal was undertaken by the
Environment Agency for the English area of the RBMP, which came to
a similar conclusion to that for the Scottish part of the plan.
Details of the draft plans, a summary of consultation responses
and the changes made to the final plans, and other work SEPA has
carried out to develop the plans, are available here.