National marine planning
Marine planning in Scotland’s waters (to 200 nautical miles) is governed by:
- the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 (Scottish Parliament Act) - inshore waters (out to 12 nautical miles)
- the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 (UK Parliament Act) - offshore waters (12 to 200 nautical miles)
The two Acts, referred to as the ‘Marine Acts’, set out the requirements for marine planning. Marine planning can be a powerful tool for managing the developments affecting our seas by bringing together different interests so that decisions about what goes where in our seas can continue to benefit future generations.
Timeline to National Marine Plan 2
Scotland’s first National Marine Plan (NMP) was adopted and published in March 2015, setting out our vision for clean, healthy, safe, productive and diverse seas, managed to meet the long term needs of nature and people.
In accordance with the Scottish and UK legislation set out in the Marine Acts, statutory reviews must be carried out every three years from the adoption of the plan.
The 2021 review concluded that although the NMP remained effective, there had been significant developments which could impact the use and management of our seas.
Scottish ministers committed to start developing a new national marine plan for Scotland in the 2022 to 2023 Programme for Government ,to address the global climate and nature crises by carefully managing our shared marine space. This commitment was reaffirmed in the 2024 to 2025 Programme for Government.
A key stage in the development of NMP2 was publication of the Planning Position Statement (PPS) which we committed to in our NMP2 statement of public participation and stakeholder engagement strategy (August 2024).
The PPS contains updated objectives, representing the national-level ambition for what marine planning can do to support sustainable development in our seas, and potential approaches to planning policy.
We held a consultation from 5 November 2024 to 7 February 2025, asking for feedback on the objectives and policy ideas set out within the PPS, and early-stage work in the development of the NMP2. We published a PPS consultation analysis report (August 2025), based on the key findings of the public consultation process. This summarised feedback received from a range of marine sector stakeholders, focusing on key themes where divergent views have been expressed.
Next steps
The policy development and statutory assessments for NMP2 are ongoing and being supported by a programme of internal and external engagement. Assessments to understand the potential impact from plan on the marine environment, marine sectors and communities. These assessments are being supported by the NMP2 Steering Group which has national representation across the marine sectors.
NMP2 will not replace or remove existing regulatory regimes or legislative requirements. As a marine planning document it will inform if, where, when and how development takes place, and provide guidance on reaching those decisions. The regulation and management of activities are covered by sector specific regulations outside of planning.
The NMP2 will continue to set the context for regional and sectoral marine planning and provide the planning framework for our licensing and consenting decisions for marine sectors including fisheries. NMP2 and the terrestrial equivalent, National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), will act as companion documents, setting out a coherent vision for the future development of Scotland’s land and seas
Background
- National Marine Plan - key documents
- Planning Circular 1/2015
- National Marine Plan Review 2018: three-year report
- National Marine Plan Review 2021: three-year report
- National Marine Plan Review 2024: three year report