Stakeholder involvement and public participation: a critique of Water Framework Directive arrangements in the United Kingdom

Expert consensus regarding public consultation and participation on environmental matters favours a multilevel approach: the process is much more likely to succeed when those consulted can relate to the boundaries, scale and the local nature of the issues. The Water Framework Directive requires those with the responsibility for river basin management planning to engage with stakeholders and the general public when such plans are being developed. Examination of the arrangements for public participation in the regions of the United Kingdom shows a marked variation in the interpretation of the Directive that may leave the general public residing in England and Wales at a significant disadvantage. In both Scotland and Northern Ireland involvement by the general public is planned at a much more local level through groups established specifically for that purpose. Arrangements at local level in England and Wales are focused on narrower existing liaison arrangements in place before the implementation of the Directive.