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

Introduction

A working group consisting of Marine Scotland, Orkney Islands Council and Highland Council have developed the Pilot Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters Marine Spatial Plan ( PFOW). The Plan sets out an integrated planning policy framework to guide marine development, activities and management decisions in the Plan area.

Through the process of producing the pilot Plan, there have been many lessons learned. These have been published in a lessons learned report to inform the preparation of future regional marine plans and the governance arrangements that could underpin Marine Planning Partnerships. It is anticipated that the pilot marine spatial plan will establish a useful basis for the preparation of the eleven regional marine plans around Scotland, in particular the two for Orkney and the North Coast Scottish Marine Regions.

This document provides a summary of the lessons learned, the plan making process and the content of the Plan. The pilot Plan and suite of supporting documents can be accessed on the Scottish Government Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters webpage.