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Introduction
1. Following the extension of planning controls to marine fish farming, this Scottish Planning Policy ( SPP) sets out the Scottish Executive's national planning policy for marine and freshwater fish farming. It provides guidance on how planning authorities should plan for fish farming development and respond to development proposals for fish farming. It also sets out the issues the Scottish Ministers will take into account when considering both freshwater and marine fish farming policies in development plans and planning applications which come before them on appeal or call-in. This SPP should be read in conjunction with Circular 1/2007 Planning Controls for Marine Fish Farming.
2. The SPP indicates how the planning system can seek to accommodate fish farming developments whilst safeguarding the environment and other uses. Planning controls now cover fish farming developments within territorial waters out to 12 nautical miles. This new power brought in under the Water Environment and Waters Services (Scotland) Act 2003 and the Planning etc (Scotland) Act 2006 replaces past consent and works licence procedures relating to marine fish farming which were previously overseen by the Crown Estate and Shetland and Orkney Islands Councils respectively.
3. The policy intention is to ensure consistency with the land based planning system as far as possible, recognising that marine spatial planning is an evolving subject area, and to transfer the locational development of this industry from a predominantly non-statutory regime into the planning system. Provisions in this SPP are specific to fish farming. Other activities in marine areas remain outwith the planning system and are subject to other regulatory controls.
4. This SPP aims to provide guidance on relevant issues that should be taken into account by planning authorities when determining fish farming proposals. It seeks to ensure that they take a strategic long term approach to planning for fish farming and explains how developers, planners and other interests should work towards achieving this.
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