Coastal protection and marine pollution

Scotland's rich and varied coastline is often a place where natural and human processes come together. We advise on the potential effects of a wide range of developments on the nature and landscapes under a number of statutory and non-statutory consultation procedures, including:

Civil Engineering and coastal defence

• Food & Environment Protection Act 1985 - Part II Deposits in the sea
• Coast Protection Act 1949
• Environmental Impact Assessments
• Harbours legislation
• Town and Country Planning legislation

Marine Pollution

• Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2005 (CAR) 
• Marine litter - through involvement Clean Coast Scotland  (CCS).
• Oil pollution is dealt with through a 24 hr response system. [For any oil pollution incident within territorial waters, i.e. 12 nautical miles, whether it is threatening the coast or not, Scottish Natural Heritage is the body with primary responsibility for providing advice on the nature conservation implications of the impact of the oil or any proposed clean up action.]
• Non-native species, e.g. introductions via ballast water/ships hull transfers

Through our advice we try to minimise the following effects:

Direct effects:

• Loss of habitats, species, landforms and rock exposures through burial beneath a new structure.
• Disturbance to or loss of habitats, species, landforms and rock exposures caused by construction activities, for example, extraction of seabed or foreshore material and compaction of foreshore by personnel and machinery.
• Severance or fragmentation of habitats, for example, through the construction of structures that act as barriers
• Visual intrusion caused by conspicuous and uncharacteristic structures detracting from the landscape and visual amenity. In particular we look for consideration to be given to the design, the materials to be used for finished surfaces and the proposed lighting.
• Increased erosion caused by a structure.
• Reduced water quality/ pollution during construction processes.

Indirect effects:

• Interruption or other changes to natural coastal processes, such as tidal flows, local currents and sediment movement.
• Vibration disturbance to fish and marine mammals, for example, from blasting or drilling operations.
• Disturbance to species (including birds and mammals) as a result of increased human presence and noise during construction and operation.
• Smothering of habitats and species as a result of increased sediment loading both during construction and operation.
• Reduced of water quality/ pollution from discharges.