Draft marine and coastal restoration plan: partial business and regulatory impact assessment

Section 2: Engagement and information gathering

Engagement approach

Development of the plan to date has been supported by a cross-sectoral stakeholder advisory group (a list of organisations represented on the advisory group is included at Annex A). An introductory information session was held with stakeholders in December 2024, followed by a series of workshops with the advisory group in February and March 2025, which aimed to generate and prioritise potential actions for inclusion in the draft plan for consultation. Workshop attendees were asked to consider a range of factors in relation to proposed actions, including resource requirements, delivery mechanism, and timescales. It should be noted that given the cross-sectoral nature of the advisory group, the group was not asked to reach consensus on a list of actions for inclusion.

Formal consultation on the draft plan provides an opportunity to engage with a wider audience, including at a more local level and at a membership level for representative organisations involved in the stakeholder advisory group.

Internal SG engagement/ engagement with wider Public Sector

Within Scottish Government

Discussions have taken place with a number of policy areas across Scottish Government including marine planning, offshore wind, marine conservation, marine licensing, marine science and analysts, aquaculture, fisheries, and terrestrial biodiversity. Policy areas provided input on the scope of the plan, helped identify priorities for the themes proposed, and highlighted any alignment across work areas.

UK/ Devolved Administrations

Natural England, Environment Agency and Historic England been engaged as statutory consultees on a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for the plan. We have also engaged with the Crown Estate in relation to their Whole of Seabed Programme, which maps areas of opportunity across English, Welsh, and Northern Irish waters for a range of sectors.

Wider Public Sector

NatureScot are a key delivery partner in developing the plan, and a statutory consultee in relation to the SEA. Crown Estate Scotland were engaged as part of the stakeholder advisory group. Local Authorities whose boundaries include coastline were invited to take part in the stakeholder advisory group. Also invited to participate were COSLA, Heads of Planning Scotland, Scottish Enterprise, South of Scotland Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Crown Estate Scotland, JNCC, NatureScot, SEPA, and Scottish Ports Group. A list of public bodies who attended the workshops can be found in Annex A.

International

Not relevant for this BRIA.

Business / Third Sector engagement

The stakeholder advisory group membership included representatives from the fishing sector, aquaculture sector, local coastal partnerships, environmental non-government organisations (eNGOs), environmental funders, the scientific community, and restoration projects. A total of forty-one groups representing these sectors attended the advisory group workshops over the eight sessions, a full list of attendees can be found in Annex A.

Public consultation

This partial BRIA will accompany a formal public consultation on the draft plan, including the proposed package of objectives and underpinning actions. The consultation will be available online, with the intention that a series of in-person events will be held at locations around Scotland to maximise community-level engagement.

Responses from the consultation will be used to refine the draft plan and associated impact assessments.