Offshore wind - strategic compensation policy: strategic environmental assessment - post adoption statement

7 Monitoring

7.1.1 Section 19 of the 2005 Act requires the Responsible Authority to monitor significant environmental impacts arising as a result of the implementation of the plan, programme or strategy. The purpose of the monitoring is to identify any unforeseen adverse effects at an early stage and to enable appropriate remedial action to be taken.

7.1.2 The Environmental Report^[18] did not identify any additional factors beyond those addressed in policy-making that would need to be monitored. Therefore, no mitigation or monitoring measures specific to the SEA are proposed.

7.1.3 However, as part of the monitoring and governance framework for delivery of the Strategic Compensation Policy, the SSI and associated guidance will be required to be reviewed every five years. The SSI specifically requires that environmental monitoring data be reviewed as part of this process. This will support evidence based monitoring of the policy.

7.1.4 Additionally, it will be important that monitoring of the Strategic Compensation Policy be integrated with wider monitoring programmes in place in the Scottish marine environment including any monitoring associated with the emerging updated Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy.

7.1.5 There are several existing monitoring and research programmes in place that can add to the evidence base in relation to potential impacts of compensatory measures. These are captured in Section 4.2 of the SEA^[19]. Building on these studies, and as outlined in Section 6.1.26 and 6.1.27 of this report, Scottish Government is developing a Scottish Portfolio of Strategic Compensatory Measures, with research projects being undertaken to understand the practical feasibility, benefits and impacts of potential strategic compensatory measures. The outcomes of these projects will be made available to offshore wind developers and other interested stakeholders in due course.