Clwyd West MS Darren Millar, who has been calling for the establishment of a National Park in north east Wales since 2010, has questioned the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs over the progress that has been made on its delivery and how it will be managed.
The Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is proposed to become part of a new North East Wales National Park, under current Welsh Government plans and a public consultation is underway on the park’s proposed boundaries.
In Senedd Chamber, Darren asked what progress had been made and was told that the Welsh Government have “asked National Resources Wales (NRW) to undertake the detailed assessment and the engagement work that is necessary”, and “that NRW will now be seeking the public's views on refined proposals for the boundary of a new national park”.
Darren also questioned the Cabinet Secretary over the management of National Parks to ensure democratic accountability, and asked what consideration the Welsh Government has given to reforming national parks so that they can be directly managed by local authorities.
He said:
“As Members of this Chamber will know, I've been calling for the establishment of a national park in north-east Wales for many years. In fact, I first called for it back in 2010, when it was then very unpopular on the Labour benches so I'm glad that you eventually caught up with my thinking.
“One of the challenges with national parks is that sometimes people can be upset about what they consider to be the lack of democratic accountability with national park authorities. As you will be aware, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty are managed as a designation by local authorities, which then means that that lack of democratic accountability that people perceive with national parks isn't a problem.
“Can I ask what consideration the Welsh Government has given to reforming national parks in such a way that the designations can be managed by local authorities directly, rather than via the establishment of another national park authority to do so?”
The Cabinet Secretary replied:
“it’s a very valid point that you raise, and I’d encourage you and others to put forward their views on the models, the running, the operation and the priorities. Let’s not forget as well that one of the greatest achievements of these national parks is not only recognising that they are living landscapes, but also that ability to enable people who are on the doorstep, or even visitors from afar, to have that quiet enjoyment of some of our most significant national landscapes, and, of course, to enhance biodiversity and develop climate resilience as well.”
For more information on the proposals and to respond to the public consultation go to: https://ymgynghori.cyfoethnaturiol.cymru/north-east-gogledd-ddwyrain/waless-national-park-proposal-public-consultation/
