Written by Mike Skuse
When the National Park debate started last year, we all thought that it would be plain sailing, and that the Welsh Government’s Manifesto promise of a new National Park(NP) based on the CRDV National Landscape (NL) would be delivered without too much trouble. (For those not following this saga closely, AONBs are now known UK-wide as National Landscapes).
We were wrong. We had not counted on the reaction of our County Councils, nor of the farming NGOs, especially that of the National Farmers Union, who have told NRW that designation will stifle farming enterprise and hinder efficient land based businesses in many ways. They stopped short of using the word “object” in a seven page letter, saying that they wanted to be informed about every new development.
At the time of writing, mid January, two of the four County Councils, Powys and Flintshire, have objected to designation, mostly on the grounds of cost at a difficult time.
And the other farming/landowning groups have all had meetings and have doubts, mainly about planning restrictions and increased visitor pressure leading to all manner of problems on farms.
Finally, I suspect that a significant percentage of the residents in the NL and in the proposed new NP boundaries are saying “Why bother? Leave it alone. It’s perfectly OK as it is.”
…….So we need to restate CPRW’s position, and to list all the positive reasons why a NP trumps a NL, and get this message out to everybody involved. I remind members of this Branch that we have firmly supported designation from the very start. So this is what we think………
It is worth mentioning here that NPs enjoy prestige far beyond their boundaries. Every country in the world calls it’s most protected places NPs. We here would be on a par with Yellowstone, Kruger, Serengeti, Masai Mara, and Kosciuszko. What’s not to like? We would benefit by sharing ideas, not least with other farmers all over the world – to see how they fare inside their ultimate protected places.
These 18 people, all well informed and dedicated to the well-being of the mountains and valleys of this internationally famous place, are supported by a large staff, from Chief Executive Officer (some of us will remember Jonathan Cawley from his time at DCC) and Corporate Services Officer, with 12 Heads of Departments, eg Finance, Property, Conservation, Personnel. And below them in the pecking order are scores of people repairing footpaths, planting trees, talking to farmers, helping visitors, and doing all the other things we expect when we visit.
I am obliged to Gareth Ludkin and his colleagues at the Campaign for National Parks, for help from their booklet ‘The Value of a New National Park in Wales’.
Mike Skuse.
P.S.
Darren Millar MS tells me that he supports the concept of a National Park, but only if the boundaries are set within the existing NL (ie AONB). He also wants management to be firmly in the hands of local councillors “rather than a “new unnecessary bureaucracy and National Park Authority”. Members will understand that this is a long way from CPRW’s position.
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