Delivering Scotland's river basin management plans: consultation

10. Summary and Next Steps

The second River Basin Management Plans for Scotland, published in December 2015, set out how Scotland's public bodies, businesses and land managers will work together to protect and improve the environmental quality of our rivers, lochs and seas over the period to 2027.

CAR is one of our key tools for achieving the delivery of the RBMPs. As a matter of good practice from time to time we carry out reviews of the effectiveness and transparency of CAR. This latest suite of amendments reflects experience gained in the practical application of these regulations during the first RBMP cycle. Many of the amendments proposed are points of clarification. The engagement between SEPA and the farming sector during the first cycle work in tackling diffuse pollution has informed the amendments to the diffuse pollution general binding rules proposed in this consultation. Other proposed amendments, such as storage of digestate and liquid fertiliser, are included because of the risk to the water environment or identified pollution incidents.

This revision of CAR is also an opportunity to introduce a GBR on bank reinforcement. This will allow land managers to carry out certain types of erosion protection without having to apply to SEPA for authorisation.

The incorporation of the provisions of the Oil Storage Regulations within CAR will increase clarity and reflects the principle of better regulation.

Together these amendments will ensure the Scottish Government continues to have an effective and transparent approach to the protection and improvement of Scotland's water environment. Following consultation and due consideration of the responses it is proposed to implement these proposals into legislation early in 2017.

We would welcome your views on the proposed changes to schedule 3 of the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011, as outlined in sections 4-8 of this consultation, and to the various proposed amendments in the interests of clarity set out in section 9.