The Act – Section by Section Part 3 – Flood Risk Assessment, Maps and Plans Section 32 – Flood risk management plans: approval and publication
107.This section sets requirements in connection with the consideration and approval of flood risk management plans, by the Scottish Ministers. Subsection (1) provides that once a flood risk management plan has been submitted to them, the Scottish Ministers may approve the plan or reject it. They may approve the whole of the plan or part of it and may do so with or without modifications. Subsection (3) requires the Scottish Ministers to state their reasons for such a decision.
108.Subsection (2) allows the Scottish Ministers to seek further information or undertake such other investigations and consultation as they consider appropriate before determining whether to approve or reject a plan.
109.Subsection (4) provides for the circumstances in which the Scottish Ministers reject a plan. Where a plan is rejected, they must return the plan to SEPA and direct it to resubmit the plan with any modifications they may specify, together with any further changes that SEPA considers appropriate. The Scottish Ministers may direct the timescale in which a plan must be resubmitted.
110.Subsection (5) requires SEPA, when a flood risk management plan has been approved, to publicise the approved plan as it thinks fit. It must also make copies of it available to the public and for public inspection. SEPA must also publicise the publication of the approved plan and the arrangements for making copies of it available for public inspection. These requirements should be read with sections 53 and 54. Subsection (6) allows SEPA to charge a reasonable price for copies of the plan.