When you first think of an idea that you wish to progress through the Rural Development Contracts -Rural Priorities scheme, consider an informal approach to organisations you think may be best placed to advise you.
This may avoid time wasting in applying for activities which are unlikely to receive consent and therefore funding.
At the SoI stage where there is an obvious need for advice or consent /licence from a Scotland's Environment and Rural Service (SEARS) organisation the Case Officer will advise how this will be progressed. For any other consents/licences you will need to contact the non- SEARS organisation direct and comply with their individual application processes.
In preparation of your Proposal you are free to enter into consultation with any relevant public organisation in order to satisfy any specialist advice or consent needs relating to the activities you wish to pursue. In many cases the need for SEARS or other public organisation advice may not be identified until your Proposal is submitted.
When you submit a Proposal for Stage 1 assessment by the Case Officer you should use Section 4 in the Outcome Plan to register that you have met, or are seeking to meet, any consents or licensing requirements. If you have already received a consent or written approval from a consenting authority you should include these as appendices to your outcome plan. Alternatively, if you wish your Case Officer to treat your outcome plan and proposal as an application for a consent/licence from a SEARS organisation you can indicate this in the table in Section 4 of the Outcome plan.
The Case Officer will then engage with SEARS organisations to progress your application for a consent/licence if necessary, and establish whether any further information is required. The SEARS organisations will consider whether the necessary consents/licences can be granted, and whether any conditions may need to be attached. Any guidance the Case Officer receives will be included in their feedback on your Proposal after their Stage 1 assessment. You can then make any necessary amendments to your Proposal before 'committing' it for formal assessment.
If you require Local Authority (LA) planning consent for any part of your Proposal, or are required to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment, then it is in your best interests to progress these as far as you can before 'committing' your Proposal.
Once a Proposal has been committed, all consents and licence requirements, whether issued, approved in principle, or not approved, will be taken into account in the final (stage 2 and 3) assessment and scoring process.
You should secure any non- SEARS licence/consents before 'committing' your Proposal for final (Stage 2 and 3) assessment, scoring, and presentation for RPAC approval. However, if any planning consent or EIA requirement is outstanding you can, if you wish, 'commit' your Proposal for formal assessment and RPAC approval. If your Proposal is successful and you have signed a Rural Development Contract you will be required to submit any relevant outstanding consents to your Case Officer as soon as you receive them and before any claims are approved for payment.
Any SEARS consents which had been approved in principle, but not issued, prior to you 'committing' to your proposal will be appended to your contract if and when the relevant part/s of your Proposal has received funding approval.