Sectoral marine plan for offshore wind energy: strategic environmental assessment screening and scoping report

Sets out the proposed scope and level of detail for the assessment, as well as a description of the methodology.


6 Consultation and next steps

6.1.1 This joint Screening and Scoping Report has been provided to the statutory Consultation Authorities/c onsultation bodies for comment, in addition to being made available to relevant Member States and members of the public.

6.1.2 Following the close of this consultation, the responses will be analysed and used to inform the development of the Draft Plan and Environmental Report that will be made available for public consultation.

6.1.3 Table 4 sets out this indicative timeline.

Table 4. Indicative timeline for the development of an offshore wind plan for deep waters around Scotland

Indicative timeline Development of offshore wind plan for deep waters around Scotland Stage of SEA
June 2018 Initial public consultation on:
  • ‘Suite’ of consultation documents including the context report, early HRA work, socio-economic work, and joint SEA Screening/Scoping Report
Screening/Scoping
Spring 2019 Statutory Consultation on:
  • the Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Encompassing Deep Water Options (the ‘Draft Plan’)
  • SEA Environmental Report
  • Integrated Sustainability Appraisal ( SA) including SEA Environmental Report
Environmental Report
Summer 2019 Publication of Consultation Analysis Report N/A
Autumn/Winter 2019 Publication of finalised Plan and accompanying Post-Adoption Statement Post-Adoption Statement

6.1.4 We are inviting responses to this consultation by 18 July 2018

6.1.5 Please respond to this consultation using the Scottish Government’s consultation platform, Citizen Space. You view and respond to this consultation online at https://consult.gov.scot/marine-scotland/offshore-wind-scoping. You can save and return to your responses while the consultation is still open. Please ensure that consultation responses are submitted before the closing date of 18 July 2018

6.1.6 If you are unable to respond online, please complete the Respondent Information Form (see “Handling your Response” below) to: SectoralMarinePlanning@gov.scot

6.1.7 Or by post to:

Offshore Wind Sectoral Marine Plan Scoping Consultation
Marine Scotland Planning and Policy (1A South)
Scottish Government, Victoria Quay
Edinburgh
EH6 6QQ

Handling your response

6.1.8 If you respond using Citizen Space (http://consult.scotland.gov.uk/), you will be directed to the Respondent Information Form. Please indicate how you wish your response to be handled and, in particular, whether you are happy for your response to published.

6.1.9 If you are unable to respond via Citizen Space, please complete and return the Respondent Information Form attached included in this document. If you ask for your response not to be published, we will regard it as confidential, and we will treat it accordingly.

6.1.10 All respondents should be aware that the Scottish Government is subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and would therefore have to consider any request made to it under the Act for information relating to responses made to this consultation exercise

Next Steps in the Process

6.1.11 Where respondents have given permission for their response to be made public, and after we have checked that they contain no potentially defamatory material, responses will be made available to the public at http://consult.scotland.gov.uk. If you use Citizen Space to respond, you will receive a copy of your response via email.

6.1.12 Following the closing date, all responses will be analysed and considered along with any other available evidence to help us. Responses will be published where we have been given permission to do so.

Comments and Complaints

6.1.13 If you have any comments about how this consultation exercise has been conducted, please send them SectoralMarinePlanning@gov.scot

Scottish Government consultation process

6.1.14 Consultation is an essential part of the policy-making process. It gives us the opportunity to consider your opinion and expertise on a proposed area of work.

6.1.15 You can find all our consultations online: http://consult.scotland.gov.uk. Each consultation details the issues under consideration, as well as a way for you to give us your views, either online, by email or by post.

6.1.16 Consultations may involve seeking views in a number of different ways, such as public meetings, focus groups, or other online methods such as Dialogue ( https://www.ideas.gov.scot).

6.1.17 Responses will be analysed and used as part of the decision making process, along with a range of other available information and evidence. We will publish a report of this analysis for every consultation. Depending on the nature of the consultation exercise the responses received may:

  • indicate the need for policy development or review
  • inform the development of a particular policy
  • help decisions to be made between alternative policy proposals
  • be used to finalise legislation before it is implemented

6.1.18 While details of particular circumstances described in a response to a consultation exercise may usefully inform the policy process, consultation exercises cannot address individual concerns and comments, which should be directed to the relevant public body.

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