Consultation hub

As Scotland’s principal environmental regulator, our purpose is to protect and improve Scotland’s environment in ways that as far as possible also create health and well-being benefits, and sustainable economic growth.

To help us achieve this, we talk with those who matter most – our communities, the businesses we regulate and their stakeholders and our partners.

Featured consultations

  • Environmental Performance Assessment Scheme (EPAS) - a fair way to report performance​

    Foreword by Nicole Paterson, Chief Executive Officer, Scottish Environment Protection Agency "Scotland’s environment is a unique resource that sits at the heart of our nation’s identity, well-being and prosperity. Our environmental laws help to protect and enhance this vital resource so that future generations can thrive. Our environmental laws are, however, only effective when there is strong compliance with them. Ensuring that this is the case is an important part...

    Closes 30 June 2025

Open consultations

  • CAR/L/1010366 - MOWI Scotland Limited - Port Na Mine (Etive 3) MPFF

    It is part of our remit to protect the marine environment. We regulate finfish farms through permits that limit the pollutants discharged to the water environment and, where appropriate, the amount of water which can be abstracted. If you have an interest in this application please tell us by completing the following questions and submitting them to us by 20 June 2025. ...

    Closes 20 June 2025

  • Environmental Performance Assessment Scheme (EPAS) - a fair way to report performance​

    Foreword by Nicole Paterson, Chief Executive Officer, Scottish Environment Protection Agency "Scotland’s environment is a unique resource that sits at the heart of our nation’s identity, well-being and prosperity. Our environmental laws help to protect and enhance this vital resource so that future generations can thrive. Our environmental laws are, however, only effective...

    Closes 30 June 2025

  • EPAS Engagement Event

    Thank you for attending our recent EPAS event. We hope you found the session valuable and informative. To help us improve future events and ensure they meet your needs and expectations, we would appreciate your feedback. This short survey should take no more than 5 minutes to complete.

    Closes 30 June 2025

  • CAR/L/1018068 - Mowi Scotland Limited: Airds Point (Etive 4) MPFF

    It is part of our remit to protect the marine environment. We regulate finfish farms through permits that limit the pollutants discharged to the water environment and, where appropriate, the amount of water which can be abstracted. If you have an interest in this application please tell us by completing the following questions and submitting them to us by 2 July 2025. ...

    Closes 2 July 2025

  • PPC/A/1000157/CP01 - The Lochnagar Distillery Limited: Cameronbridge Distillery, Leven - PPC Variation

    It's part of SEPA’s remit to maintain a high-quality environment by setting permit conditions which limit the impacts associated with installations operating under Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) Part A regulations. Variation Details SEPA proposes to vary the existing permit of The Lochnagar Distillery Limited Diageo Distillery Limited, PPC/A/1000157/CP01/VAR03 at...

    Closes 4 July 2025

Closed consultations

We Asked, You Said, We Did

Here are some of the issues we have consulted on and their outcomes. See all outcomes

We asked

For your views on proposed standard conditions for regulating registration-level activities under the Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018 (EASR). We explained the conditions for each activity and, where needed, why they were considered necessary.

You said

We received 24 responses. Most respondents responded positively, and most supported most of the proposals. When respondents disagreed with the proposals, we asked them to provide a rationale explaining why.

We did

We considered your feedback carefully and revised or clarified certain conditions. We scaled requirements to risk, simplified terminology, improved transparency, added flexibility, and updated or confirmed relevant codes. Where proposals were supported, we are proceeding as planned.

Our Consultation Digest summarises what you told us and the actions we’ve taken. The Consultation Response provides more detail on the proposals, responses, and next steps

We asked

For your views on proposed changes to our charging scheme for waste, water, and industrial activities regulated through our Integrated Authorisation Framework (IAF). We also sought feedback on calculating the charges, revising the charging descriptions, and making other changes.

You said

You broadly supported the proposed changes to charges for water and industrial activities, with nearly all respondents in agreement. Most of you also supported the proposed changes to waste activity charges, though a few raised concerns or disagreed. We received 28 responses in total, mostly from businesses.

We did

Take your comments and feedback into account, making changes to our proposals as a result. Full details of what you told us and our responses are available in our Consultation Digest.

We asked

As part of our review of Potentially Vulnerable Areas (PVAs) for flood risk management in Scotland, we asked for your views on:

  • Moving to community-scale PVAs.
  • Designating specific communities as PVAs.
  • Improving SEPA’s flood preparedness tools and resources.

You said

  • 64% of you agreed with our approach, describing it as sensible and fair. However, 10% of you disagreed, raising concerns about gaps in addressing surface water flooding and the accuracy of our flood data.
  •  71% of you supported the move to community-scale PVAs, saying it made the designations clearer and more relevant locally. Some of you, however, expressed concerns about how this change might shift responsibilities for flood management.
  • 52% of you agreed with the proposed designations for your local areas, but 33% disagreed, citing concerns about flood data accuracy, potential impacts on property sales, and insurance premiums.
  • You told us that our flood preparedness resources need to be more user-friendly and accessible.

We did

We discussed your feedback with local authorities and made several changes to community designations. We added Finavon and Kinbuck as new PVAs based on evidence received from the consultation. We expanded the boundaries for Bannockburn and Oban to better match their community boundaries. For Golspie, we updated the PVA description to clarify the flood risks. Additionally, we will use your feedback to improve SEPA’s flood tools, making them easier to understand and use. These changes will help us refine our flood risk management plans to meet community needs.