A Marine Spatial Plan for the Shetland Islands
Please download a recent copy of the Shetland Marine Spatial Plan:
Part One: The Policy Framework (1.93Mb) and
Part Two: The Marine Atlas (4Mb)
If you are considering a development, you may have a better chance if you use the information and data available through the Marine Spatial Plan.
Please use the documents with the condition that they are still a draft - we always value your feedback so please download and return this survey. (Word document 29KB)
Progress to date
The Plan has been through a public consultation, amendments were made subject to the comments received, and it was then tested with a trial implementation since January 2009. Feedback was collated on its use by regulators and developers, and summarised in an Interim Draft Feedback report. (Word document 35KB)
What will happen next?
Strategic Environmental Assessment is currently in process and a revised draft of the Plan, together with the Environmental Report, will be published for a second public consultation in November 2009.
Background
The Scottish Sustainable Marine Environment Initiative (SSMEI) Shetland project is one of four pilots in Scotland testing the concept of Marine Spatial Planning as a mechanism to achieve sustainable management of the marine environment. The funding for the project has come from the Scottish Government, Scottish Natural Heritage, NAFC Marine Centre, Shetland Islands Council, Crown Estate and Leader plus.
The Shetland project, which started in January 2006 and will run until April 2010, aims to develop an integrated and coordinated Marine Spatial Plan for Shetland. The Plan provides guidance for the placement of different marine activities for the betterment of marine management and reflects extensive public involvement, consultation and consensus.
The Plan underwent a public consultation on the first draft and leaves no doubt that the many comments received (which can be viewed here (208Kb)) have added significant value to the Marine Spatial Planning development process. The SSMEI project in Shetland would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the organisations and individuals who engaged in this consultation exercise.
The SSMEI Policy Development Working Group has taken on board comments on "Part One: The Policy Framework" and recently re-drafted this document as an Interim Draft Part One: The Policy Framework. Please note that the Marine Atlas has not yet been amended to take account of any comments during the first consultation.
Previous reports
The many challenges and lessons learned by the project so far, including trials of zoning and mapping cumulative pressure areas have been summarised in an Interim Review Report (729Kb).
Scottish Sustainable Marine Environment Initiative (SSMEI) Shetland Annual Report.
Data used in the project can be found in the metadata tables.