Pilot Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters Marine Spatial Plan. Consultation Analysis and Modifications Report.

37. Supporting documents

37.1 Background

37.1.1 The consultation in 2015 consisted of a suite of documents, the Plan and a number of supporting documents: Sustainability Appraisal ( SA), Socio-Economic Baseline Review, Regional Locational Guidance ( RLG), a Business Regulatory Impact Assessment ( BRIA) and an Equality Impact Assessment ( EQIA).

37.1.2 This section of the Consultation Analysis and Modifications Report will provide an overview the comments received for each supporting document. The way in which the comments received are dealt with will be dependent on the purpose of each of the documents as outlined in the paragraphs below.

37.1.3 A Sustainability Appraisal, comprising a Strategic Environmental Assessment ( SEA), Socio-economic Assessment and Draft Habitats Regulations Assessment ( HRA) Record, was undertaken to inform the development of the Plan. The findings of these assessments are set out in the Sustainability Appraisal Report, published alongside the Consultation paper for the Draft Pilot Plan. Together, these assessments, the views of the working group, the Consultation Authorities (Scottish Natural Heritage, Scottish Environment Protection Agency and Historic Environment Scotland) and that of other respondents to the public consultation, were considerations in the development and finalisation of the Pilot Plan. A Post Adoption SEA Statement will be published with the final Plan, and this Statement will set out how the assessment findings and these views have been considered in the development of the Plan. To avoid repetition of information between documents, this section of the Consultation Analysis and Modifications Report will provide a brief overview of the responses received.

37.1.4 The Socio-Economic Baseline Review was prepared both to inform the Sustainability Appraisal and as a background document to the Plan. It was not intended that this document would be updated. The responses received have been considered and an overview will be provided here and the key points will be noted in the Lessons Learned report to aid and inform future regional marine planning.

37.1.5 The responses received in relation to the Regional Locational Guidance will be considered and the document updated as necessary ready for publication with the final Plan. The suggested modifications will be included in this report.

37.1.6 The responses received in relation to the BRIA and EQIA will be used to complete the process of these assessments and they will be published with the final Plan. A brief overview of the responses will be given in this section.