River Basin Management Planning

1. River Basin Management Planning Cath Preston Senior Planning Officer (River Basin Planning) 2nd March 2006

2. Water Framework Directive The effective co-ordination of water environment policy and regulation across Europe to: • Prevent deterioration and enhance status of aquatic ecosystems, including groundwater • Promote sustainable water use • Reduce pollution • Contribute to mitigation of floods and droughts

3. Legislative and River Basin Planning Principles • Scotland RBD (WEWS Act) and Solway-Tweed RBDs (individual regulations) • Each RBD must have a River Basin Management Plan (RBMP) • For Scotland RBD: • Sub Basin Plans* prepared to support RBMP delivery (WEWS S15) • Advisory groups to support RBMP production (WEWS S17) • For Solway-Tweed RBD: • Agencies acting jointly to produce required reports / outputs * Geographical chapters & detailed sub-basin or sector plans as required

4. River Basin Planning Strategies For Scotland RBD strategy sets out: • Principles for river basin planning • Administrative arrangements • Consultation and participation • Co-ordination with other plans and planning For Solway-Tweed RBD will set out: • Same contents as Scotland RBD Strategy; plus • Co-ordination of agency actions: • Monitoring • Data management • Regulation

5. What’s in the RBMP? • Characteristicsof the District; • pressures and impacts • risk assessment based on water quality, ecology, quantity and hydro-morphology factors • including protected areas • economic assessment of water services • Environmental objectives and timescale for achieving • Programme of measures to achieve objectives: • summary in RBMP • details for water bodies in GIS • Monitoring networks and programmes • Consultation & participation opportunities for “interested parties”

6. Role of River Basin Planning • Improve and support sound, sustainable and integrated water management to deliver the requirements of the WFD. • Provide a framework for developing institutional arrangements and co-ordination with other plans. • Provide on-going opportunities for public participation and partnership working. • Provide a framework for proportionate and transparent decision making that balances environmental, social and economic needs within the river basin district.

7. The River Basin Planning Process The most important period for the new river basin planning process is still to come. The large part of the work to develop the planning system and produce the plan (with others) must be complete for the draft RBMP in 2008.

8. Role of National Advisory Group • Coordinate Area Advisory Group (AAG) work: • Strategic direction and guidance for AAGs to ensure consistent approach; • Guidance and support for consultation and public participation; • Act as arbiter of conflicts raised by AAGs; • Provide link between Scottish Ministers and AAGs. • Oversee and contribute to production of final RBMP: • Identify national priorities for improvement and protection: • Identify need for national measures to deliver national standards; • Identify opportunities to better integrate with other strategic plans and policies; • Contribute to and review RBMP before submission to Ministers.

9. Area Advisory Groups • Eight Area Advisory Groups in Scotland RBD. • Two Area Advisory Groups in Solway-Tweed RBD. • Geographic scale for effective participation and manageable costs. • Include complete catchments and coastal water units and best alignment with Local Authorities. • Supported in public consultation. SEPA is currently identifying and recruiting members of National and Area Advisory Groups to have all functional by mid 2006.

10. Area Advisory Group Roles • Prepare Area Management Plans for their area which together will form the RBMP for the RBD. • In developing Area Management Plans the AAGs will: • Identify key priorities for environmental improvement and protection; • Identify actions and measures to deliver environmental improvement and protection; • Provide advice on the use of alternative objectives; • Improve the coordination and integration of the RBMP with other plans and policies in the area; • Coordinate relevant consultation and participation in their area; • Consider the need for further detailed plans and programmes in their area.

11. River Basin Planning & Flooding The WEWs Act places a duty upon Scottish Ministers, every public body and officer holder to: The Act also places duties upon Scottish Ministers, SEPA & responsible authorities to: • Have regard to the RBMP (Section 16). • Promote SFM during delivery of their designated functions (Section 2(4)). Commitments in the River Basin Planning Strategy for the Scotland RBD: • SEPA will continue to work with FIAC to develop guidance on SFM. • SEPA will seek to develop a relationship between the Area Advisory Groups and relevant Flood Liaison and Appraisal Groups to help promote integration between river basin planning and flood management. • River basin planning will start to form links to other relevant processes for example development planning, biodiversity planning and land management.

12. River Basin Planning & FloodingDeveloping Links in the First Planning Cycle WEWS Act Section 2(4)Promote SFM FIAC Sustainable Flood Management Guidance National Advisory GroupRiver Basin Management Plan Area Advisory GroupsArea Management Plans Flooding Priorities FLAGsDevelopment of SFM Schemes RBMP Priorities WEWS Act Section 16Have Regard to RBMP

13. Controlled Activities Regulations & Flooding Flood Alleviation Scheme Controlled Activities Regulations Assessment of relevant components of scheme in relation to current water body status.Water body status is based on water quality, ecology, quantity & morphological factorsIn future, assessment will be against the objectives set in the RBMP. Unavoidable deterioration despite mitigation? No deterioration of status with proposed mitigation measures? Additional mitigation required to prevent deterioration of status? Socio – economic considerations e.g. overriding public interest? Set alternative objectives in RBMP? Licensing decisions

14. River Basin Planning & FloodingSecond Planning Cycle and Beyond • If adopted, proposed Floods Directive will increase linkage between WFD and flood risk management. Proposal (Jan 2006) includes: • Preliminary flood risk assessments (3 years after adoption) • Flood mapping (by 2013) • Flood Risk Management Plans (by 2015) • Linkage between WFD and proposed Flood Directive: • Flood risk management co-ordinated in same river basin districts as WFD • Synchronisation of planning timetable from 2015 • Co-ordination of public consultation • Member states may integrate flood risk management plans into river basin management plans • Co-ordination of complementary objectives. • The links and good working relationships developed during the preparation of the first RBMP will form a sound basis on which to integrate the requirements of the WFD and the proposed Floods Directive.

15. River Basin Planning & FloodingSummary • For the first river basin planning cycle (to 2009): • WEWs Act duties - have regard to RBMPs and promote SFM. • SEPA will continue to work with FIAC to develop guidance on SFM. • Links between AAGs and FLAGs to promote integration between river basin planning and flood management. • Synergies developed between river basin planning and other relevant processes e.g. development planning, land management and biodiversity planning. • For the second river basin planning cycle and beyond: • Look towards proposed Floods Directive to further integrate the requirements of WFD and flood risk management. • The links, synergies and good working relationships developed in the first river basin planning cycle will form a sound basis for this integration.