PILOT PENTLAND FIRTH AND ORKNEY WATERS MARINE SPATIAL PLAN CONSULTATION DRAFT Sustainability Appraisal PILOT PENTLAND FIRTH AND ORKNEY WATERS MARINE SPATIAL PLAN CONSULTATION DRAFT Sustainability Appraisal Report prepared by: On behalf of the Pilot Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters working group: © Crown copyright 2015 This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: [email protected]. Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to ob- tain permission from the copyright holders concerned. This publication is available at www.gov.scot Any enquiries regarding this publication should be sent to us at The Scottish Government St Andrew’s House Edinburgh EH1 3DG ISBN: 978-1-78544-399-2 Published by The Scottish Government, June 2015 Produced for The Scottish Government by APS Group Scotland, 21 Tennant Street, Edinburgh EH6 5NA PPDAS50860 (06/15) Table of Contents 1 Non-Technical Summary ........................................................................ 1 2 Introduction .......................................................................................... 10 3 The Consultation Paper for the Draft Pilot Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters Marine Spatial Plan .................................................................. 13 4 The Sustainability Appraisal (SA) ......................................................... 23 5 The Context of the Pilot Plan ............................................................... 26 6 Approach to the SA .............................................................................. 31 7 Baseline Information ............................................................................ 42 8 Findings of Assessment of Policies ...................................................... 97 9 Findings of the Assessment and Overall Effects of the Pilot Plan ...... 117 10 Conclusion And Recommendations ................................................... 143 11 Next steps .......................................................................................... 148 Tables Table 3.1 Key facts about the Pilot Plan .............................................................. 18 Table 3.2 General Policies in the draft Pilot Plan ................................................. 22 Table 3.3 Sectoral Policies in the draft Pilot Plan ................................................ 22 Table 6.1 Summary of objectives, their implications for the Pilot Plan and Key SA Questions. ...................................................................................... 34 Table 7.1 Scoping of Issues ................................................................................. 43 Table 8.1 Summary of the potential socio-economic and environmental effects of the General Policies. ...................................................................... 107 Table 8.2 Summary of the potential socio-economic and environmental effects of the Sectoral Policies...................................................................... 116 Figures Figure 1.1 The Pilot Plan Area ................................................................................ 2 Figure 3.1 Vision, Guiding Principles, Aims and Objectives of the Pilot Plan ........ 17 Figure 3.2 The Pilot Plan Area .............................................................................. 20 Figure 5.1 The context of the Pilot Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters Marine Spatial Plan in relation to other legislation. .......................................... 28 Figure 7.1 International Nature Conservation Areas in the PFOW Area ............... 51 Figure 7.2 National Nature Conservation Areas in the PFOW Area ...................... 52 Figure 7.3 Seal Conservation Areas and Haul Out Sites in the PFOW ................. 53 Pilot Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters Marine Spatial Plan – Consultation Draft i Sustainability Appraisal June 2015 Figure 7.4 Atlantic Salmon Special Areas of Conservation in Scotland ................ 54 Figure 7.5 Submerged Archaeology in the PFOW ................................................ 60 Figure 7.6 Coastal Archaeology in the PFOW ...................................................... 61 Figure 7.7 Landscape designations in the PFOW ................................................. 65 Figure 7.8 Geological Conservation Review Sites in the PFOW Area .................. 70 Figure 7.9 Coastal Geology in the PFOW ............................................................. 71 Figure 7.10 Seabed habitat in the PFOW area classified according to the European Nature Information System (EUNIS) habitat classification system.................................................................................................. 72 Figure 7.11 Eurosion Coastal Erosion Survey 2014 ............................................... 73 Figure 7.12 Eurosion Coastal Survey and Erosion Potential in PFOW ................... 73 Figure 7.13 Coastal and Transitional Waters Classification 2012 ........................... 82 Figure 7.14 Location of Shellfish Waters and Active Aquaculture Sites in the PFOW Area .......................................................................................... 83 Figure 7.15 Scottish fishery districts containing active coastal net fisheries in 2013 ..................................................................................................... 86 Appendices Appendix A Assessment Tables for General Policies .............................................. A1 Appendix B Assessment Tables for Sectoral Policies ............................................. B1 Appendix C Assessment Tables for Reasonable Alternatives ................................. C1 Appendix D Analysis of relevant environmental objectives ..................................... D1 Appendix E Compliance checklist ........................................................................... E1 Appendix F Draft HRA Record ................................................................................ F1 Pilot Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters Marine Spatial Plan – Consultation Draft ii Sustainability Appraisal June 2015 Abbreviations AEOI Adverse Effects on Integrity BAP Biodiversity Action Plan CAR Controlled Activities Regulations CCRA UK Climate Change Risk Assessment CO2 Carbon dioxide DECC Department of Energy and Climate Change Defra Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Draft Pilot Plan Draft Pilot Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters Marine Spatial Plan dSPA Draft Special Protection Area EC European Commission ECC European Economic Community EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EMEC European Marine Energy Centre EMF Electromagnetic forces EPS European Protected Species EU European Union EUNIS European University Information Systems FAA Fleet Air Arm FISA Fisheries Industry Science Alliance FSA Food Standards Authority GCR Geological Conservation Review GES Good Environmental Status GHG Greenhouse Gas HMPA Historic Marine Protected Areas HRA Habitats Regulations Appraisal IBA International Bird Area IMO International Maritime Organization IUCN International Union for the Conservation of Nature JNCC Joint Nature Conservation Committee kV Kilovolt LDP Local Development Plan Pilot Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters Marine Spatial Plan – Consultation Draft iii Sustainability Appraisal June 2015 LLA Local Landscape Areas LSE Likely Significant Effects MAIB Marine Accident Investigation Branch MEHRA Marine Environmental High Risk Area MoD Ministry of Defence MPA Marine Protected Area MPS Marine Policy Statement MRIP Marine Renewables Infrastructure Plan MSFD Marine Strategy Framework Directive MS LOT Marine Scotland Licensing and Operations Team MSS Marine Scotland Science NERC Natural Environment Research Council NGO Non-Government Organisation NMP National Marine Plan NMPi National Marine Plan Interactive NORM Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material NPF3 National Planning Framework 3 NRIP National Renewables Infrastructure Plan NSA National Scenic Area ORJIP Offshore Renewables Joint Industry Programme OSPAR Oslo and Paris Convention PFOW Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters PMF Priority Marine Features PPC Pollution Prevention Control PPS Plans, Programmes and Strategies RAF Royal Air Force RBD River Basin District RBMP River Basin Management Plan RCAHMS Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland RLG Regional Locational Guidance RORO Roll-on roll-off RPP Report of Policies and Proposals RPP2 Report of Policies and Proposals 2 Pilot Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters Marine Spatial Plan – Consultation Draft iv Sustainability Appraisal June 2015 RSPB Royal Society for the Protection of Birds RYAS Royal Yachting Association Scotland SA Sustainability Appraisal SAC Special Area(s) of Conservation SCI Sites of Community Interest SCOS NERC Special Committee on Seals SEA Strategic Environmental Assessment SEPA Scottish Environment Protection Agency SHEP Scottish Historic Environment Policy SLA Special Landscape Area SIMD Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation SMRU Sea Mammal Research Unit SNH Scottish Natural Heritage SPA Special Protection Area SpORRAn Scottish Offshore Renewables Research Framework SPP Scottish Planning Policy SSEPD Scottish and Southern Energy Power Distribution SSMEI Scottish Sustainable Marine Environment Initiative SSSI Site(s) of