PEOPLE in Helensburgh and Lomond are being asked for their views on a draft marine plan for the River and Firth of Clyde.

The Clyde Marine Planning Partnership (CMPP) has prepared a draft plan for the area covering issues such as climate change, marine litter and the interaction between business, industrial and recreational uses of the river, firth and Clyde sea lochs.

A series of drop-in public consultations across the Clyde area includes events at the Victoria Halls in Helensburgh on April 23 and at the Three Villages Hall in Arrochar on May 3.

This is the first opportunity for wider stakeholders and the general public to read the CMPP’s draft Plan and provide feedback.

Once the consultation is complete, the Plan will be revised based on feedback and will be shared again during a 12-week statutory consultation.

The final Regional Marine Plan will be adopted by Scottish ministers and will form part of the statutory framework for managing Scotland's seas, already established more broadly by the national marine plan.

Isabel Glasgow, chair of the CMPP, said “This is a very important milestone in the development of regional marine planning for the Clyde.

"It is testament to the work and commitment of regional stakeholders who have worked together to reach this stage; I hope that as many people and organisations as possible will find the time to have their say.

"We look forward to hearing these wider views and feedback on the draft Plan, and taking these into account in the next phase of plan development.”

The Scottish National Marine Plan (2014) established a single framework for managing inshore (out to 12 nautical miles) and offshore waters (12 to 200 nautical miles) and set out an overarching structure for marine activity.

Regional marine plans consider regional issues, working on a smaller ecosystem scale and working with regional stakeholders.

Eleven Scottish Marine Regions (SMRs) have been identified of which the Clyde and the Shetland Isles have been chosen as the first to begin statutory marine planning.

Copies of the pre-consultation draft regional marine plan for the Clyde can be found at clydemarineplan.scot/consultations.

The partnership's members include Argyll and Bute Council, the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, VisitScotland and the Crown Estate, as well as local authorities and other groups and businesses throughout the Clyde area.