The Scottish Government

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PART 1

Chapter 1: Consultation - Structure and methodology

This report is intended to summarise responses on the following key issues:

• Added value and benefits of a Coastal and Marine National Park;
• Preferred location;
• Selecting the location of Scotland's first Coastal and Marine National Park; and
• Functions, Powers and Governance of a Park Authority.

Comments have not been attributed to individual respondents. Where consent has been provided to do so, copies of individual responses are available from the Scottish Executive library, and from the Scottish Executive website at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2007/03/01090919/0

1.1 Background

On 15 June 2005 Scottish Ministers announced their intention to proceed towards the establishment of Scotland's first Coastal and Marine National Park.

The Scottish Executive's consultation paper Scotland's first Coastal and Marine National Park: a consultation (2006) sought views on Scottish Ministers' proposals and a range of key issues, including the:

• location of a Coastal and Marine National Park;
• criteria for the choice of Park area;
• key benefits that could be derived from a Park;
• The range of functions of the Park Authority;
• key principles of governance arrangements; and
• financial implications of a Park.

Scotland's first Coastal and Marine National Park: a consultation outlined the aims for Scottish National Parks, as enshrined in the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000, which seek to balance social, economic and environmental considerations. It provided an overview of the candidate areas identified in Scottish Natural Heritage's ( SNH) advice, submitted in March 2006, and highlighted international experience and some of the benefits delivered by Parks elsewhere. The consultation document also summarised the process for designation of a Park and outlined future opportunities for consultation.

The Scottish Executive's consultation was launched on 11 October 2006 and concluded on 10 January 2007.

1.2 Key aims of the Consultation

The consultation paper aimed to canvas stakeholder and public opinion to assist Ministers in taking decisions on whether, and if so how, to progress the proposals to establish a Coastal and Marine National Park.

The responses to this consultation will be used by Ministers to consider the future way forward on proposals to designate Scotland's first Coastal and Marine National Park. Following this assessment, any decisions would be progressed within the statutory framework set out in the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000. A summary of the key processes involved in progressing a specific proposal for designating a Coastal and Marine National Park is contained in Annex D.

1.3 Consultation process

Scottish Ministers expressed particular interest in the views of local people, organisations and other stakeholders regarding the development of a Coastal and Marine National Park. The consultation paper was distributed to over 800 individuals and organisations representing a wide range of interests, from whom responses to a core set of questions and open-ended comments were invited.

The Executive supplemented this consultation paper with other resources, including a summary leaflet, information pack and DVD, setting out additional background material on the proposals. Given the proposals were still at an early stage of development, these additional materials were intended to provide a resource to enable interested parties to develop their views. The materials were made available to the general public on the Scottish Executive website, and also through a vehicle tour of the 10 candidate locations around Scotland, which was attended by over 3,000 people. In addition, a series of stakeholder events were organised, to which representatives of over 250 organisations were invited.

1.4 Feedback

This summary report of responses to Scotland's first Coastal and Marine National Park: a consultation will be made publicly available, and will be issued to all those who received the original consultation paper and also to those who provided a substantive response. It is published on the Scottish Executive website at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2007/02/28143406/0

If you have any comments about any aspect of this consultation exercise, please direct them to: CMNPConsultation@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

or to:

Nikki Milne

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