Planning

Developments under the Town and Country Planning system can include, amongst other things, the construction of large industrial premises, the construction of housing and associated drainage provision, opencast coals sites, quarries and landfills. These developments all have the potential to impact on groundwater quality and quantity either via direct or indirect discharges or through abstractions or developments which effect groundwater flow or aquifer recharge.

SEPA is consulted on a variety of developments that fall under the Town and Country Planning system. This system provides SEPA with an opportunity to influence areas of development where our regulatory functions do not provide environmental control. Further guidance on SEPA's role in land use planning can be found on the planning section of our website.

This page provides links to the main legislation and policy guidance relating to groundwater and planning.

• Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 
  
• Environmental Impact Assessment (Scotland) Regulations 1999 
  
• Town and Country Planning (Hazardous Substances) (Scotland) Regulations 1993 
  
• Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 
  
• Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) (Scotland) Order 1992 

• Groundwater Protection Policy for Scotland V3, November 2009 (1.9mb)
  
• National Planning Policy Guidelines (NPPGs), Scottish Planning Policies (SPPs) and Policy Advice Notes (PAN’s) are all available from the publication section of the Scottish Government website .
  
• Guidance on groundwater and planning can be found in Pollution Prevention Guidelines (PPG) notes 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 20.
  
• Code of Practice for Installers, Owners and Operators of Underground Storage tanks (& Pipelines)  (494k)
  
• Guidance on windfarms