Part 1Protection of the water environment
Chapter 2River basin management planning
River basin management plans
15Sub-basin plans
1
For the purpose of supplementing the river basin management plan for a river basin district—
a
SEPA must—
i
divide the district into such geographical areas as it thinks fit, and
ii
prepare, for each of those areas, a plan in relation to water management within the area,
b
SEPA or a responsible authority may, if it thinks fit, prepare a plan in relation to a particular aspect of water management within the district.
2
A plan prepared under subsection (1)(b) may, for example, relate to—
a
a particular description of body of water,
b
a particular catchment or geographical area (whether or not an area determined in pursuance of subsection (1)(a)),
c
a particular matter relating to the water environment,
d
a particular description of user of water resources.
3
A plan prepared under subsection (1)(a) or (b) is referred to in this Part as a “sub-basin plan”.
4
A sub-basin plan must not be inconsistent with anything in the river basin management plan which it supplements.
5
A sub-basin plan prepared under subsection (1)(b), so far as applying to an area determined in pursuance of subsection (1)(a), must not be inconsistent with the sub-basin plan prepared for that area under subsection (1)(a).
6
SEPA or, as the case may be, the responsible authority must consult such of the persons specified or referred to in section 11(6)(a) to (j) as it thinks fit about a proposed sub-basin plan and must take into account any views expressed by those consulted.
7
For the purposes of subsection (6) as it applies to a responsible authority, the references in section 11(6)(g) to (j) to SEPA are to be read as if they were references to that responsible authority.