National Marine Plan 2: planning position statement

2. Why We Need A New Plan

Under the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 and Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009, commonly referred to as the “Marine Acts”, Scottish Ministers are required to prepare and adopt a marine plan for the Scottish marine area. Scotland’s first National Marine Plan (“NMP”) was adopted in 2015 and, in line with statutory requirements, was reviewed in 2018 and 2021. Drawing on the recommendations and conclusions presented as part of the NMP reviews, Ministers announced in October 2022 the intention to update the NMP to better support statutory commitments to net zero and help tackle the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss through marine planning.

The updated National Marine Plan (“NMP2”) will provide clear direction for the sustainable development and use of our seas to benefit Scotland’s economy, society and marine environment. It will set out an updated planning framework that:

• supports future licensing and consenting decisions
• sets the context for regional and sectoral planning
• aligns with terrestrial planning.

Planning is a powerful tool for delivering change on the ground in a way which brings together different interests, so that decisions reflect the long-term public interest. Past, present and future challenges mean that we will need to make choices about how we use our marine space. There will be difficult decisions ahead in how we plan the use of our marine space. NMP2 will set out an updated planning framework that will help inform decisions to be made that take account of the experiences and perspectives of those who use and depend on Scotland’s seas.

2.1 Key Feedback On National Marine Plan 2015

Feedback gathered through statutory reviews of the current NMP in 2018 and 2021, and the ongoing NMP2 engagement has been key to influencing the direction and scope of the NMP2.

Feedback on the current NMP highlighted key challenges to plan implementation as:

• the number of policies and objectives required to be considered in decision-making
• the lack of primacy or hierarchy in the policies
• the lack of clarity on how policies interact with one another.

Furthermore, as NMP is structured using separate chapters for individual marine sectors, the structure makes it challenging to apply or use policies where sectors interact, or where there is competition for marine space. Users of the NMP have also highlighted the lack of guidance on how to use the NMP as a barrier to its implementation.

General feedback received has emphasised the need for planning policy to support the transition to net zero, food production, mitigation of climate change impacts and the realisation of opportunities for adaptation to climate change within the marine environment and marine sectors. Furthermore, emerging sectors such as hydrogen, seaweed harvesting, and cruise tourism also need to be considered.

Recent engagement has also highlighted concerns that the growth in some sectors, combined with ambitions for enhanced marine protection, is impacting on the space available for established marine activities. Potential opportunities for co-location of activities and challenges around the interaction between sectors, mitigation or compensation for impacts on other marine users have been raised. We have also heard requests for further spatial planning and a desire for inclusive approaches to marine planning decision-making and engagements with communities.