Consultations
There are many types of consultations which the Trust responds to, making sure rivers and wildlife are represented at an early stage of an activity. The Trust responds to consultations using the knowledge and understanding of rivers in the Forth that we have built up over the years to make sure appropriate measures are put in place to protect wildlife and habitat around the Forth. Â
Local Development Plans
The Trust responds to Local Development Plans which are produced by Local Authorities to guide planning of services to the community and Scotland. The plans are a statutory document required by all authorities to help guide development within the administrative areas. The Trust inputs into these plans by responding to consultations outlining potential improvements which could be made to rivers in areas zones for development. We also outline where we believe development may impact rivers significantly. By inputting at this early stage it allows local authorities to plan for the future and encourage multiple benefits during developments.Â
Government Consultations
The Trust responds to a range of government consultations on a variety of topics. The most recent high profile consultation which the Trust responded to was the Wild Fisheries Review and subsequent reform. The Trust has consistently responded to all consultation opportunities to voice the needs of rivers in the Forth. The Trust also responds to consultations from agencies such as SEPA, Forestry Commission, Marine Scotland and SNH.
SEPA CAR Licence Applications
The Trust sometimes responds to CAR license applications, if consulted. The Trust is not a statutory body and does not always get consulted on CAR license applications. We do provide advice to the Forth District Salmon Fishery Board who are a statutory body and should be notified and consulted so that the Board can produce a response to any in stream works requesting a license. We use our specialist knowledge of rivers around the Forth to feed into this process and make sure that any negative impacts on the environment are minimised or removed completely.Â