Freedom of Information Request - Firth of Forth SSSIs
Date: 03 September 2025
Our ref: SIR181276/A5383004
Information Request – Firth of Forth SSSIs
Your Request
This Freedom of Information request concerns the Firth of Forth SSSI. This SSSI covers most of the coastline of the Firth of Forth but was originally 18 separate SSSI as explained in the site citation - pages 6-7 which lists them. These were later merged to form the current SSSI. My questions are these:
1. In what year did the merging of these 18 SSSI take place?
2. Which of those 18 SSSI had "Operation requiring consent" (ORC) number 25 (removal of geological specimens) in their citation? Note that in the original citations the term "Potentially Damaging Operation" (PDO) is likely to have been used instead of ORC. This term was replaced by the term ORC by the Nature and Conservation (Scotland) 2004 Act, but they are the same thing.
Our Response
In what year did the merging of these 18 SSSI take place?
The year the 18 SSSIs merged is detailed in the Firth of Forth SSSI site citation you quote in your request: notified 15 August 2000, with notification confirmed on 10 May 2001.
Which of those 18 SSSI had "Operation requiring consent" (ORC) number 25 (removal of geological specimens) in their citation?
None of the 18 constituent SSSIs had an ORC for removal of geological specimens.
How We Handled Your Request
We believe you have asked for environmental information as defined in the Environmental Information (Scotland Regulations 2004 (‘the EIRs’), so we are dealing with your request under those regulations. To be able to use the EIRs, we must apply an exemption under section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (‘FOISA’). The Scottish Information Commissioner’s guidance recommends that public authorities apply this exemption to environmental information and handle request under the EIRs.
If you would like to find out more about the access to information legislation, there is a guidance booklet available on the Scottish Information Commissioner’s website.
Review and Appeal
I hope this information meets your requirements, but if you are dissatisfied with how we have responded to your information request, please write to us within 40 working days explaining your concerns. You can contact us at Battleby, Redgorton, Perth, PH1 3EW or email us at [email protected]. We will carry out a review of our response and contact you with our findings within 20 working days.
If you are not satisfied following this, you can make an appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner within 6 months. The Scottish Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
Scottish Information Commissioner
Kinburn Castle
Doubledykes Road
St Andrews
Fife
KY16 9DS
Telephone: 01334 464610
Yours sincerely
FOI Officer,
NatureScot
