Pilot Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters Marine Spatial Plan. Summary.

Next steps for marine planning in Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters area

Monitoring and review of the pilot Plan
Monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of any plan is an essential part of the planning process. The pilot process has been reviewed to identify lessons learned for future statutory regional marine planning. It is not intended that a detailed monitoring programme will be put in place for the implementation of this pilot Plan as it is anticipated that the regional marine planning process will commence immediately following the pilot. The working group will monitor how the pilot Plan is used to support marine licensing, works licence and planning decisions within their respective organisations.

Future regional marine plans
Marine plans for Shetland and the Clyde are being taken forward in the first phase of statutory regional marine plans, with subsequent plans for each region to follow in due course. Each will be taken forward by a Marine Planning Partnership; the make up of each one will vary according to local needs.

In 2013, the Empowering Scotland's Island Communities prospectus set out the Scottish Government intention to formally delegate statutory regional marine planning powers to a local Orkney Marine Planning Partnership in which Orkney Islands Council will play a lead role. The prospectus states that the pilot marine spatial plan will inform future marine planning in the area, with a view to formal delegation of planning powers to Orkney by 2016.