1.—(1) Where the Department decides to prepare a marine plan for a marine plan area it must, before beginning to prepare the plan, give notice of its intention to do so to each of the relevant authorities..
(2) The “relevant authorities” are—
(a)the Secretary of State;
(b)the Scottish Ministers;
(c)any district council whose district adjoins or is adjacent to the marine plan area;
(d)the department of the Government of Ireland with responsibility for marine planning in any area adjoining or adjacent to the marine plan area.