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.

Open consultations

  • The Environmental Regulations (Scotland) Charging Scheme 2018: Technical changes

    As Scotland’s principal environmental regulator, our purpose is to protect and improve Scotland’s environment in ways that, as far as possible, also contribute to improving health and well-being and achieving sustainable economic growth. Our Corporate Plan 2024-2027 sets our strategic ambition and priorities. Our Annual Operating Plans set out how we will implement our priorities every year. ...

    Closes 18 December 2024

  • CAR/L/1003931 - Scottish Sea Farms Limited: Shapinsay C 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 19 December 2024. ...

    Closes 19 December 2024

  • ​Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS) Hunterston A site gaseous discharges variation application

    It's part of our remit to regulate the disposal of radioactive substances within Scotland, we do this through the issuing of permits. These permits regulate the quantity and activity of gaseous and aqueous radioactive waste which may be disposed of to the environment. ​Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS) formerly Magnox Ltd are in the process of decommissioning the Hunterston A Nuclear...

    Closes 20 December 2024

  • PPC/A/1016719 - Aberdeen & Northern Eggs Limited: West Cockmuir Farm, Fraserburgh - PPC Variation Application

    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. Application details We received an application from Aberdeen & Northern Eggs Limited to vary their existing PPC permit PPC/A/1016719 at West...

    Closes 2 January 2025

  • PPC/A/5007385 - Aberdeen & Northern Eggs Limited: Nether Glasslaw Free Range Egg Farm, New Pitsligo - PPC Permit Application

    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. Application details We received an application from Aberdeen & Northern Eggs Limited for a permit to operate an installation at Nether Glasslaw...

    Closes 7 January 2025

Closed consultations

  • Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018: ​Proposed Standard Conditions for Registration level activities

    The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) are Scotland’s principal environmental regulator, protecting and improving Scotland’s environment. In 2018, Scottish Government brought in the Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018 (EASR 2018), referred to in this...

    Closed 24 November 2024

  • CAR/L/1129793 - MOWI Scotland Limited: Tabhaigh 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...

    Closed 21 November 2024

  • CAR/L/5003381 - Cooke Aquaculture Scotland Limited: Quanterness 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...

    Closed 6 November 2024

  • Emissions Trading Charging Scheme (ETS Charging Scheme)

    We're consulting on proposed changes to the fees we charge for regulating operators under the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), by way of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Fees and Charges Scheme 2020 (as amended) (the ETS Charging Scheme). The proposed amendments to the ETS...

    Closed 4 November 2024

  • Rosyth Royal Dockyard Limited - variation application

    It's part of our remit to regulate the disposal of radioactive substances within Scotland, we do this through the issuing of permits. These permits regulate the quantity and activity of gaseous and aqueous radioactive waste which may be disposed of to the environment. Rosyth Royal...

    Closed 31 October 2024

We Asked, You Said, We Did

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

We asked

In January 2024, we sought your views on the type of authorisation that we propose to use for the authorisation of waste management, water, and industrial activities under the Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018 (EASR 2018). We also provided an explanation, where necessary, on why an activity requires the type of authorisation proposed. 

In the consultation, we asked two types of question: 

  1. Those where we sought agreement for our proposed approach on the type, tier and wording of an activity and authorisation that would be required. 

  1. Those where we were seeking views that will help us to develop future consultations on, for example, the wording of standard conditions. 

The consultation was open from 17 January 2024 to 12 April 2024.

You said

In total, we received 63 consultation responses from stakeholders. 

Overall, the response was positive, with 83.7% of respondents agreeing to our proposed approach on the type, tier and wording of the activities and authorisations.

See our consultation summary for more details.

We did

We have taken on board your comments and feedback and made some changes to our proposals. For example, to some activity thresholds and updating some activity descriptions to make them clearer. Where you fed back that further clarity was need, we have reviewed this and will integrated into future proposals that we will consult on in due course.

Read our Consultation digest for more information on the responses we received and what we have done in response.

We asked

We consulted in December on our outline proposals for the new, spatially based risk assessment framework for regulating the interaction between sea lice from marine finfish farms and wild Atlantic salmon.

The framework will be applied through the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011.

We worked closely with scientists from Marine Scotland to develop the technical details of the proposed framework as well as with NatureScot and local planning authorities.

Input from stakeholder groups on the Salmon Interactions Working Group (finfish producers, fishery management organisations and environmental NGOs) was invaluable in helping shape and refine the framework during its development.

The proposed framework would be implemented by embedding it within our wider regulatory framework introduced in 2019, which already regulates all discharges from marine finfish farms to the water environment.

You said

In total, we received consultation responses from 62 stakeholders.

We have published all stakeholder responses below, with personal information redacted.

We did

We have read and considered all the responses and have made some changes to the framework as a result. We also held a series of workshops/engagement sessions in June 2022 to update stakeholders on changes to the framework and the implementation process that we were considering and take onboard any additional feedback and comments.

The main changes we intend to take forward are summarised below, alongside our full analysis of the consultation response.

  • We have decided that sea trout should be included from the beginning of the framework. We will initially focus on providing protection of sea trout in Wild Salmon Protection Zones during the early sea phase of their lifecycle and the development of a sea trout monitoring programme that will provide information to help assess risk and further develop the regime.
     
  • We will produce a further consultation in early 2023 detailing how the framework will operate in practice before implementing the regime. This consultation will include details of the choices we have made on controls that will apply and an assessment of the social and economic implications of the framework.
     
  • To allow time for further consultation and development of risk screening models, we will now work towards starting to apply the framework to applications for proposed new farms and expansions of existing farms in the second half of 2023. However, it is important we get it right and, if necessary, we will take additional time if needed.

We asked

SEPA and local authorities worked in partnership to develop and consult on flood risk management plans.

Plans are best if they are informed by local knowledge and help tackle issues that matter to communities in Scotland. This is why the consultation on the flood risk management plans was vital, to help ensure that we get the right actions in the right places.

SEPA hosted the joint consultation on the flood risk management plans and local flood risk management plans on the citizen space platform.

The consultation was carried out in two phases between December 2020 and October 2021. The consultation was open to everyone with an interest in flood risk management. The views SEPA has received during the consultation provide a useful insight into public knowledge and understanding.

You said

In total SEPA received 677 responses. This included 654 online responses and an additional 23 email responses, 77% of responses were from members of the public.

Read the full summary of consultation responses.

 

We did

SEPA has reviewed the feedback received. Some feedback resulted in changes made to the final flood risk management plans and these are summarised below.

Summary of changes made to the plans following the consultation

1. Further actions were added to manage flood risk in several target areas.

2. Additional Local Plan District actions were added.

3. Some actions were removed from the flood risk management plans at the request of local authorities responsible for their delivery due to completion in the time between consultation and publication.

4. Further information was included on how climate change was assessed in the preparation of the plans.

5. Further information was included on how potentially vulnerable areas were identified, and when they will be reviewed again.

6. Information was included on the progress made in implementing actions and working towards objectives in the 2015 strategies.

7. A target area boundary was amended based on new information provided.

8. A description of the importance of community actions, recognising the work that communities do to manage flooding was included, along with further information on where support is available to help people reduce their own flood risk.

9. A description of the catchment-based approach SEPA has taken, and the role it plays in delivering flood risk management actions was provided.

10. The link between flood risk management plans and land use planning was clarified.

11. Habitats Regulations Appraisal statements were added to each relevant action.

12. Some other changes were made to the way information is presented to try to make it clearer e.g., on the timing of actions being carried out.

13. Further information was provided on the uncertainty associated with funding of flood risk management actions.