OpenLegislation

Natural Heritage (Scotland) Act 1991

1991 c. 28 · Enacted 27 June 1991 · Extends to England, Wales and Scotland

Not fully up to date. 7 changes made by later legislation have not yet been written into this text, which is revised to 1 November 2025.

See the changes not yet applied
ProvisionChangeMade by
s. 24 titlewords substitutedRegulatory Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 sch. 3 para. 24(4)
s. 24(1)words repealedRegulatory Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 sch. 3 para. 24(2)(a)
s. 24(1)(a)words repealedRegulatory Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 sch. 3 para. 24(2)(b)(i)
s. 24(1)(a)words repealedRegulatory Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 sch. 3 para. 24(2)(b)(ii)
s. 24(1)(c)words substitutedRegulatory Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 sch. 3 para. 24(2)(c)(i)
s. 24(1)(c)words substitutedRegulatory Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 sch. 3 para. 24(2)(c)(ii)
s. 24(9)words repealedRegulatory Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 sch. 3 para. 24(3)

An Act to establish Scottish Natural Heritage; to make provision as to the management of water resources in Scotland; and for connected purposes.

[27th June 1991] E1

Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

Annotations to the whole text

Extent

E1

This Act extends to Scotland only except as provided by s. 28(5).

Contents

  1. Part I: Scottish Natural Heritage
  2. Establishment of SNH
  3. 1Scottish Natural Heritage.
  4. Functions of SNH
  5. 2General functions of Scottish Natural Heritage
  6. 3Duty to take account of certain matters.
  7. 4Nature conservation functions.
  8. 5Development projects or schemes.
  9. 6Natural Heritage Areas. Repealed
  10. 7Powers of entry.
  11. Grants and loans
  12. 8Government grants to Scottish Natural Heritage.
  13. 9Grants and loans.
  14. Miscellaneous
  15. 10Reports, accounts etc.
  16. 11Directions by Secretary of State.
  17. 12Advisory Committee on SIs. Repealed
  18. 13Access to open country.
  19. 14Dissolution of bodies.
  20. Part II: Irrigation
  21. 15Power to control abstraction of water for irrigation. Repealed
  22. 16Offence of unlicensed abstraction of water for irrigation. Repealed
  23. 17Licences. Repealed
  24. 18Special provisions for shortage or abundance of water. Repealed
  25. 19Transitional provisions. Repealed
  26. Part III: Drought
  27. 20Drought orders. Repealed
  28. 21Offences against drought orders. Repealed
  29. 22Interpretation, transitional provisions and savings. Repealed
  30. Part IV: General
  31. 23Finance.
  32. 24Rights of entry and inspection under Parts II and III. Repealed
  33. 25Service of documents.
  34. 26Offences by persons other than natural persons.
  35. 26AMeaning of SEPA.
  36. 27Consequential and miscellaneous amendments and repeals.
  37. 28Short title, commencement and extent.
  38. Schedule 1: Constitution and proceedings of Scottish Natural Heritage
  39. Incorporation and status
  40. 1Paragraph 1
  41. 2Paragraph 2
  42. Membership
  43. 3Paragraph 3
  44. 4Paragraph 4
  45. 5Paragraph 5
  46. 6Paragraph 6
  47. 7Paragraph 7
  48. 8Paragraph 8
  49. 9Paragraph 9
  50. Chairman and Deputy Chairman
  51. 10Paragraph 10
  52. Remuneration and allowances
  53. 11Paragraph 11
  54. Staff
  55. 12Paragraph 12
  56. 13Paragraph 13
  57. 14Paragraph 14
  58. Proceedings
  59. 15Paragraph 15
  60. Committees
  61. 16Paragraph 16
  62. Delegation of powers
  63. 17Paragraph 17
  64. Documents
  65. 18Paragraph 18 Repealed
  66. Land
  67. 19Paragraph 19
  68. Schedule 2: Amendment of Enactments conferring nature conservation functions
  69. National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 (c. 97)
  70. 1Paragraph 1
  71. Deer (Scotland) Act 1959 (c. 40)
  72. 2Paragraph 2 Repealed
  73. Countryside Act 1968 (c. 41)
  74. 3Paragraph 3
  75. Conservation of Seals Act 1970 (c. 30)
  76. 4Paragraph 4
  77. Badgers Act 1973 (c. 57)
  78. 5Paragraph 5 Repealed
  79. Import of Live Fish (Scotland) Act 1978 (c. 35)
  80. 6Paragraph 6
  81. Animal Health Act 1981 (c. 22)
  82. 7Paragraph 7
  83. Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (c. 69)
  84. 8Paragraph 8
  85. Inheritance Tax Act 1984 (c. 51)
  86. 9Paragraph 9
  87. Environmental Protection Act 1990 (c. 43)
  88. 10Paragraph 10
  89. Schedule 3: Access to Open Country
  90. 1Paragraph 1
  91. 2Paragraph 2
  92. 3Paragraph 3
  93. 4Paragraph 4
  94. 5Paragraph 5
  95. 6Paragraph 6
  96. 7Paragraph 7
  97. 8Paragraph 8
  98. 9Paragraph 9
  99. 10Paragraph 10
  100. 11Paragraph 11
  101. 12Paragraph 12
  102. 13Paragraph 13
  103. 14Paragraph 14
  104. 15Paragraph 15
  105. 16Paragraph 16
  106. Schedule 4: Transitional arrangements on the dissolution of existing bodies
  107. Preliminary
  108. 1Paragraph 1
  109. Preparation of accounts and reports
  110. 2Paragraph 2
  111. Offers of employment
  112. 3Paragraph 3
  113. Continuity of employment, redundancy etc.
  114. 4Paragraph 4
  115. 5Paragraph 5
  116. Disputes
  117. 6Paragraph 6
  118. Continuity of exercise of functions
  119. 7Paragraph 7
  120. Construction of references to the Council and the Commission
  121. 8Paragraph 8
  122. 9Paragraph 9
  123. Supplementary
  124. 10Paragraph 10
  125. Schedule 5: Provisions as to applications for, making, coming into operation, and validity of, control orders
  126. 1Paragraph 1 Repealed
  127. 2Paragraph 2 Repealed
  128. 3Paragraph 3 Repealed
  129. 4Paragraph 4 Repealed
  130. 5Paragraph 5 Repealed
  131. 6Paragraph 6 Repealed
  132. 7Paragraph 7 Repealed
  133. 8Paragraph 8 Repealed
  134. 9Paragraph 9 Repealed
  135. 10Paragraph 10 Repealed
  136. 11Paragraph 11 Repealed
  137. Schedule 6: Provisions as to applications for, variation, revocation and transfer of licences under Part II
  138. Applications for Licences under Part II
  139. 1Paragraph 1 Repealed
  140. Appeal against refusal to grant licence
  141. 2Paragraph 2 Repealed
  142. Variation of licence and late application for licence
  143. 3Paragraph 3 Repealed
  144. Revocation of licences
  145. 4Paragraph 4 Repealed
  146. Transfer of licences
  147. 5Paragraph 5 Repealed
  148. Schedule 7: Further provisions regarding drought orders
  149. Duration of drought orders
  150. 1Paragraph 1 Repealed
  151. Exercise of power to make a drought order
  152. 2Paragraph 2 Repealed
  153. Prohibition or limitation of use of water
  154. 3Paragraph 3 Repealed
  155. Abstractions and discharges of water
  156. 4Paragraph 4 Repealed
  157. Works under drought orders
  158. 5Paragraph 5 Repealed
  159. Miscellaneous
  160. 6Paragraph 6 Repealed
  161. 7Paragraph 7 Repealed
  162. Schedule 8: Procedure for making drought orders
  163. Application for orders
  164. 1Paragraph 1 Repealed
  165. Objections to and making of orders
  166. 2Paragraph 2 Repealed
  167. 3Paragraph 3 Repealed
  168. Schedule 9: Compensation in respect of drought orders
  169. 1Paragraph 1 Repealed
  170. 2Paragraph 2 Repealed
  171. 3Paragraph 3 Repealed
  172. 4Paragraph 4 Repealed
  173. 5Paragraph 5 Repealed
  174. Schedule 10: Miscellaneous Amendments
  175. Rivers (Prevention of Pollution) (Scotland) Act 1951 (c. 66)
  176. 1Paragraph 1 Repealed
  177. Superannuation Act 1965 (c. 74)
  178. 2Paragraph 2
  179. Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 (c. 13)
  180. 3Paragraph 3
  181. Countryside (Scotland) Act 1967 (c. 86)
  182. 4Paragraph 4
  183. Sewerage (Scotland) Act 1968 (c.47)
  184. 5Paragraph 5
  185. Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (c. 65)
  186. 6Paragraph 6 Repealed
  187. Control of Pollution Act 1974 (c. 40)
  188. 7Paragraph 7
  189. House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975 (c. 24)
  190. 8Paragraph 8
  191. Water (Scotland) Act 1980 (c. 45)
  192. 9Paragraph 9
  193. Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (c. 27)
  194. 10Paragraph 10
  195. Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 (c. 54)
  196. 11Paragraph 11
  197. Agriculture Act 1986 (c. 49)
  198. 12Paragraph 12
  199. Electricity Act 1989 (c. 29)
  200. 13Paragraph 13
  201. Schedule 11Repeals