Ministers abandon plans to create Scotland’s third national park

The Scottish Government has abandoned plans to create Scotland’s third national park in Galloway.

Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon accepted the decision would be “disappointing” for those who supported the area being given the special status.

But she cited responses to a consultation which showed 54% of people were opposed to a national park in the area, with 42% in favour.

Amongst local people, 57% were against the national park bid, while 40% were supportive of it.

Under the proposals the national park would have taken in parts of the Dumfries and Galloway Council area, as well as parts of both South and East Ayrshire.

As she announced the decision at Holyrood, Ms Gougeon said: “We have listened to the people of Galloway and Ayrshire.”

Adding that the debate on whether to establish a national park in the area had at times become “quite heated”, she said there had been “both strong support and strong opposition”.

But she told MSPs: “We have weighed up the arguments for and against the creation of a new national park in the area, taking full account of the potential economic, social and environmental factors, and we have come to the conclusion not to proceed with the designation of a national park in Galloway and Ayrshire.”

Scotland currently has two national parks, the Cairngorms and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, with the commitment to create a third part of the now defunct powersharing deal the SNP had with the Greens at Holyrood.

The decision comes after a report earlier this month warned a new national park in the area could cost the local economy more than £500 million by 2035, with concerns raised that developers could find it harder to win permission for projects such as wind farms.

Ms Gougeon accepted her announcement “will be very disappointing for those who have been campaigning for a new national park in Galloway over many years”.

However she made clear: “While there is substantial support for a national park and what it could deliver for the south-west of Scotland, there is also significant opposition.”

Conservative Findlay Carson, the MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, said the decision was the “correct one”.

He added: “This outcome rightly reflects the views of the majority of local residents, land managers and businesses.”

But Labour’s Colin Smyth, an MSP for the South Scotland region, said the move risks turning the region “into a dumping ground for wind farms with no local jobs”.

He branded the move a “betrayal by the Government that has given up on Galloway”, as he insisted ministers could have put forward plans that “would have supported farming and forestry and helped them thrive”.

Hitting out at Ms Gougeon, he added: “She could have built something special, made a change for the better.

“Instead she has taken the easy way out and she has walked away.”

Green MSP Mark Ruskell said the decision is a “failure of Government”, as he said there had been an “aggressive misinformation campaign from landed interest” against the park.

Similarly Kat Jones, director of Action to Protect Rural Scotland, claimed the decision had been made “seemingly in response to a well-funded media campaign spreading fear and misinformation”.

She added: “This is not just a tragedy for the people of Galloway and southern Ayrshire, who were set to benefit most from the national park, this decision impoverishes all of us.

“National parks are a recognition of the best of our nation’s landscapes and this decision will impact Scotland’s standing as a country that values and protects its nature.

“This decision is a betrayal of the Galloway people who have worked tirelessly for seven years to bring well-deserved, national recognition for the special landscapes of their area.”

Rob Lucas, chairman of the Galloway National Park Association, said: “This is a big loss for our countryside and wildlife, for everyone living in the region and for our entire country.

“Our disappointment is not just for the loss of a national park but for the whole future of Galloway which has been badly let down once again.”

Ramblers Scotland director Brendan Paddy said: “Scotland has waited for two decades for its third national park, so we are disappointed to see this major opportunity missed.

“A new Galloway national park, if delivered well, had the potential to attract funding, promote responsible outdoor recreation, and support people from all backgrounds to walk in this beautiful corner of Scotland.”

However Stephen Young, director of policy at Scottish Land and Estates, said: “The decision not to proceed with the Galloway national park proposal is the right one by the Scottish Government and aligns with the clear views expressed by communities and businesses across the region.”