About the planning process
SEPA, in conjunction with the Environment Agency, is the
authority responsible for leading and coordinating implementation
of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and the river basin planning
process in the Solway Tweed.
When the WFD was transposed into UK legislation, separate
provision was made for the Solway Tweed river basin district
because it straddles the English–Scottish border. Under the Solway
Tweed Regulations, SEPA and the Environment Agency must work
together to deliver river basin planning in this district.
The Water
Environment (Water Framework Directive) (Solway Tweed River Basin
District) Regulations 2004 
These regulations give authority to SEPA and the Environment Agency
to co-ordinate river basin planning in the Solway Tweed river basin
district.
Guidance from governments
The Scottish Government and Defra have instructed SEPA and the
Environment Agency to work jointly on delivering WFD objectives in
the Solway Tweed river basin district.
The diagram below shows:
- the cyclical and iterative nature of river basin management
planning;
- the key steps in the planning process;
- the requirement for stakeholder participation.
Early basin planning work
In December 2005, SEPA and the Environment Agency
published a river basin planning strategy for the Solway Tweed RBD.
Responses to a public consultation (2004) and stakeholder events
(2003) helped shape the strategy that presents actions for:
- establishing effective and efficient administrative
arrangements and working principles to support the production of
the RBMP
- providing opportunities for participation and
consultation
- integrating and coordinating the RBMP with other plans and
planning
Further information on early river basin
planning work.