Aquaculture - Development guidance

Our latest Aquaculture planning guidance for the aquaculture industry, statutory consultees and third parties to support environmentally, economically and socially sustainable aquaculture development in Highland.

View our Aquaculture planning guidance

2015 Consultation

In advance of the review of the Highland-wide Local Development Plan, Draft Aquaculture Supplementary Guidance was consulted upon to provide an early opportunity for engagement.

The consultation ran from 25 May to 19 July 2015, and you can view the comments received.

These are helping to shape the next stage of the process. The detailed guidance will support an updated aquaculture policy in the revised Highland Wide Local Development Plan.

The aquaculture guidance contains sections on a spatial strategy and a set of 6 development criteria. It will guide fish farming (including shellfish) development to those locations that are considered to have fewer constraints to development, or to where those constraints can be mitigated through sensitive equipment design, siting or working practices. The guidance will also assist in streamlining the process of preparing, submitting and determining aquaculture planning applications.

The wider review process will update both the HwLDP and supporting guidance as appropriate. This includes the existing Aquaculture Framework Plans.

While these processes are underway, the plans listed below are supplementary planning guidance that are material considerations in the determination of planning applications:

• Loch Torridon aquaculture framework plan
• Loch Nevis aquaculture framework plan
• Loch Eriboll Aquaculture Framework Plan
• Loch Bracadale Framework Plan
• Loch Hourn Aquaculture Framework Plan
• Loch Inchard Aquaculture Framework Plan
• Loch Sunart Aquaculture Framework Plan