Marine Planning Service
Marine planning staff are responsible for assessing applications for all developments in the marine environment whether new or modifications to existing ones or proposals submitted under environmental impact assessment regulations. Developments include those connected to aquaculture, renewable energy, oil and gas developments and pipelines, piers, marinas, etc. with the former falling under the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 and the remainder under the unique Zetland County Council Act 1974.
The site for Planning Applications and Works Licence Applications is available here:
Planning and Works Licence Application Search
We also:
- give advice on the planning system and planning policies to all interested parties;
- encourage and undertake free pre-application discussions with applicants and/or agents;
- monitor implementation of approved applications and, where appropriate, undertake enforcement action; and
-
prepare planning appeal statements and give evidence at public inquiries
Together the planning system and the Council's planning policies steer development in the coastal marine waters to appropriate locations and ensure use of the marine resource is sustainable by balancing environmental and socioeconomic interests. The service leads on the fast evolving sphere of marine spatial planning through the Shetland based SSMEI (Scottish Sustainable Marine Environment Initiative) project. This means that the Council will be well placed when spatial planning at the national and local level becomes a statutory process through the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010. The service is also involved with a number of Ministerial initiatives such as ‘Delivering Planning Reform for Aquaculture’ which aims to streamline the planning system as it applies to aquaculture through the use of templates for pre-application discussions and EIA (see links).
As part of the planning process, the public and other interested parties are given the opportunity to make their views known and have them considered in the decision making process - comments on individual planning applications are welcomed. We try to make decisions promptly, to ensure high quality development on the ground and to respect individual rights.
If you wish to discuss any aspect of the planning process in more detail or have any comments to pass on, please contact using the details below.
Documents:
Reports
Shetland Islands Wave and Tidal Resource
Shetland Marine Spatial Plan
http://www.nafc.ac.uk/ssmei.aspx
Application Forms
Marine Fish Farming Planning Application Form
Marine Fish Farming Planning Application Form Notes for Guidance
Marine Fish Farming Planning Application Notice to Owners
Screening and/or Scoping Form
Screening and/or Scoping Form Notes for Guidance
Works Licence Application form
Works Licence Application form Notes for Guidance
Policies
Interim Policy for Marine Aquaculture
Works Licence Policy
EIA Templates
EIA pre-application consultation template
EIA screening & scoping template
EIA templates process flow chart
Planning application and EIA template for environmental statements
Useful Links:
The Crown Estate
Scottish Government Planning
Scottish Government Farmed Fish and Shellfish
Scottish Aquaculture Research Forum
Scottish Sustainable Marine Environment Initiative
Scottish Natural Heritage
Scottish Environment Protection Agency
Delivering Planning Reform for Aquaculture
Marine (Scotland) Act 2010
Contacts:
Marine Planning Service
Infrastructure Services
Grantfield
Lerwick
Shetland
ZE1 0NT
Phone: +44 (01595) 744800
email: marine.planning@shetland.gov.uk