Introduction

Background

The Islands Connectivity Plan (ICP) replaces the Ferries Plan 2013-2022 and sets out how ferry services, supported by other transport modes, will be delivered, and strengthened, working towards a long-term vision, and supported by clear priorities and defined outcomes for people and places.

The ICP comprises the Strategic Approach Paper (SAP), Vessels and Ports Plan (VPP), refreshed Community Needs Assessment (CNAs) and the Monitoring and Evaluation Plan. Statutory and public consultation have been key in the development of the ICP and comprised the following:

  • Public consultations and engagements were undertaken on a number of relevant plans and strategies (including the National Transport Strategy 2 (NTS), National Islands Plan (NIP), Strategic Transport Projects Review 2 (STPR2), Project Neptune, etc) and Parliamentary Committee reports (Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee, Public Audit Committee, Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee), as well as extensive stakeholder engagement carried out by Transport Scotland Ferries Directorate, all of which were used to inform the development of an internal draft SAP.
  • A pre-consultation draft of the VPP was shared with key stakeholders and published on Transport Scotland’s website in December 2022. Feedback received was used to inform the consultation draft of the updated VPP.
  • Consultation drafts of the SAP and VPP were subject to public consultation, supported by community engagement, between February and May 2024. Feedback received was used to inform post-consultation drafts dated December 2024 (internal versions), subsequently subject to Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA).

The post-consultation draft SAP (December 2024) comprised a long-term Vision, underpinned by four Priorities including: ‘Reliable and Resilient’, ‘Accessible’, ‘Integrated’ and ‘Low Carbon and Environmental Impact’. Additionally, three associated Outcomes sat below each Priority, and around 60 theme-based high-level commitments were defined to support the realisation of desired Outcomes.

The post-consultation draft VPP (December 2024) comprised eight Objectives, based on the Vision and Priorities set out in the SAP, along with seven associated Outputs. It also recommended a number of projects that fell under two broad categories: fleet renewal and port upgrades.

Consultation on the SEA Environmental Report ran from 14 February to 13 March 2025. Following consultation and considering views received at that time, the ICP has now been adopted, and the final SAP and VPP have been published on the Transport Scotland website. This SEA Post Adoption Statement has been prepared considering the SAP and VPP versions dated April 2025.

SEA Requirements and Process

Under the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 (the ‘Environmental Assessment Act’), which transposes the European Union (EU) SEA Directive, Scottish public bodies preparing plans are required to undertake a SEA if such plans, if implemented, are considered likely to have significant effects, either positive or negative.

Figure 1 - SEA process followed in relation to the ICP development illustrates the steps followed, further described below.

Figure 1 - SEA process followed in relation to the ICP development, as described in the text below
Figure 1 - SEA process followed in relation to the ICP development

The SEA process began with Transport Scotland producing a Screening Report which was issued, together with the pre-consultation draft of the SAP and VPP, to statutory consultation authorities in May 2023, concluding that the likelihood of significant effects could not be ruled out, and that on this basis an SEA would be required. Transport Scotland developed a Scoping Report was then issued in October 2023, and all statutory consultation authorities agreed with the overall approach, scope and level of detail proposed. Subsequently Ramboll developed a draft assessment framework, including some proposed amendments to the scope of the SEA, and additional detail on the assessment methodology, was subsequently developed and shared with statutory consultation authorities in December 2024. Overall, all three statutory consultation authorities agreed with the approach proposed.

Following public consultation and community engagement on the consultation draft of the SAP and VPP between February and May 2024, the SAP and VPP were revised by Transport Scotland to incorporate feedback received, and the December 2024 internal working versions of these documents were subject to initial assessment (Interim Environmental Report) intended for internal purposes, subsequently adapted into an Environmental Report (undertaken by Ramboll) for external statutory and public consultation, which ran between February and March 2025.

This Post-Adoption SEA Statement has been prepared in line with the requirements of the Environmental Assessment Act (Part 3, section 18(3)) and concludes the SEA process. It documents the following:

  • how environmental considerations have been integrated into the ICP;
  • how the environmental report has been taken into account;
  • how the opinions expressed in response to the publication of the Environmental Report have been taken into account;
  • the reasons for choosing the ICP as adopted, in the light of the other reasonable alternatives considered; and
  • the measures that are to be taken to monitor the significant environmental effects of the implementation of the ICP (if any).