Pilot Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters Marine Spatial Plan. Summary.

Purpose of the pilot Plan

• to establish a coherent strategic vision, objectives and policies to further the achievement of sustainable development including the protection and, where appropriate, enhancement of the health of the Plan area
• to inform and guide the regulation, management and use of the area to which the Plan applies
• to provide reliable and robust information to support the Plan policies
• to guide the location of all marine uses and activities and ensure they occur in the most suitable and least sensitive areas
• to minimise conflicts of interest and encourage compatible uses
• to provide clarity and direction to users of the marine environment as to how it will be managed and regulated and the framework within which decisions will be taken
• to set out sustainable development objectives that respect environmental limits to ensure healthy and productive seas in the future
• to develop a policy framework that supports integrated marine and terrestrial planning and development
• The plan making process
• The pilot marine spatial plan has been developed through a three stage process as illustrated below.

Map showing some of the Scottish Marine Regions. The Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters area combines the Orkney and the North Coast regions.