The draft Clyde Regional Marine Plan (the Plan) has been prepared by the Clyde Marine Planning Partnership (CMPP), after receiving the delegation on behalf of the Scottish Government in 2017. Once adopted by Scottish Ministers, the Plan will become a statutory document.

The CMPP is made up of approximately 25 members. Each member brings knowledge and expertise, and has a stake in how the Clyde Marine Region (the Region) is managed. Partnership working has been a critical component in developing the Plan and all members have given significant time and efforts to its creation. However members have had to accept a high level of compromise with regards to the text of the Plan in order to progress development.

Along with the members, the Regional Marine Planning team at Marine Directorate (MD) have played an important role in the Plan’s development, with scrutinization from legal and policy colleagues to ensure the Plan is in line with the National Marine Plan, amongst other policy documents.

There have been several iterations of the Plan since 2018. A range of workshops and meetings with CMPP members, a public dialogues, and a 12 week pre-consultation took place between 2018 and 2020. Since then, feedback has been continually received from members and from MD to form the current draft.

The chapters in Section 2 and Section 3 of the Plan contain policies and recommendations relating to the different topics and sectors. The purpose of the policies is to guide, including but not limited to, developers, public authorities, decision makers, consenting authorities and regulators to make decisions on sustainable development and/or use within, or that affect, the Region. CMPP members and staff have worked closely with MD colleagues to ensure that the text is in accordance with NMP and other relevant legislation but retaining ambition where possible. Recommendations for marine users/local management are included throughout the Plan to inform the general management of all activities within the Region, including those which are not managed through planning and licensing, such as marine and coastal sport, recreation and tourism. These recommendations are not enforceable and will not be subject to monitoring and reporting obligations.

An Action Plan has been developed alongside the Plan to inform and prioritise future work of the CMPP that is in line with the Plan’s objectives. Post adoption of the Plan, the CMPP will work to update the draft Action Plan, providing another avenue for CMPP to undertake work that will ensure sustainable management and use of the Region. The draft Action Plan can be found on the CMPP’s website.

If you would like to read a more detailed record of development, please see the document Clyde Regional Marine Plan Consultation Draft: A Record of Development and Progress.