Accompanying Documents
11.The Act must be read by reference to the documents referred to in it, namely the Parliamentary plans, the Parliamentary sections and the Book of Reference (all defined in section 79 of the Act). The Parliamentary plans show the lands to be acquired or otherwise used, the works and facilities to be constructed and (in some cases) the uses to be made of certain areas. The Parliamentary sections show cross-sections and longitudinal sections of specific scheduled works.
12.The book of reference lists the owners, lessees and occupiers of all lands which may be compulsorily acquired or used or who have interests in any land or water in or over which rights would be acquired or extinguished, or interests in the rights that would be acquired or extinguished. The identification and process of notification of owners, lessees and occupiers is contained within a Heritable Interests Statement which was published on the Scottish Parliamentary website as an accompanying document to the Bill for the Act.
13.European legislation on environmental assessment (EC Directive 85/337/EEC as amended by EC Directive 97/11/EC) applies to the Act. The requirements are transposed into domestic law for development projects authorised under planning legislation through the Environmental Impact Assessment (Scotland) Regulations 1999 (SSI 1999/1) as amended by the Environmental Impact Assessment (Scotland) Regulations 2002 (SSI 2002/324). The requirements of those Regulations are applied to the procedures for Scottish Hybrid Bills (to which the Bill for the Act was subject) authorising works by virtue of Rule 9C.3.2(g)(iii) of the Standing Orders of the Scottish Parliament and the Presiding Officer’s determinations as set out in Annexes D and Q to the Parliament’s Guidance on Hybrid Bills.
14.The findings of the environmental assessment carried out in relation to the Act are set out in the environmental statement lodged as one of the accompanying documents on the introduction of the Bill for this Act. The environmental statement (as defined in section 79) sets out the beneficial and adverse environmental impacts arising from the construction and operation of the scheme and where appropriate sets out the mitigation measures designed to prevent, reduce and if possible offset significant environmental impacts..