New national park must enhance the special landscape there

Campaigners have called on the Welsh Government to ensure plans to create a new national park in the north-east of Wales will protect and enhance the special landscape there.

A joint statement led by Campaign for National Parks has been released ahead of an expected public consultation on proposals this autumn.

It’s been signed by 18 campaigners including Alliance for Welsh Designated Landscapes, RSPB Cymru, WWF and National Trust.

The organisations have called for high ambitions for the proposed area with a supporting framework that will enable a new national park, the first to be designated in Wales in over 60 years, to be an exemplar in the UK.

Recommendations

A pledge to create a new national park was part of Welsh Labour’s manifesto at the 2021 Senedd election.

A decision on whether to give a new park the green light is expected before the next election in 2026.

Campaigners recommend a series of actions which will enable a new national park to fulfil its purposes and thrive.

These include:

• An emphasis on species recovery, climate change and a boundary which considers the full diversity of habitats and species present in the area. There should be targeted support for farmers and land managers in the area and an emphasis on nature recovery.
• A commitment to new and ongoing funding at a level which will enable the new National Park to achieve its full potential whilst ensuring that there are no detrimental impacts on the existing National Parks in Wales.
• Maintaining economic and social resilience for local communities. The new National Park will be an area where people live and work. The small towns, villages and communities within it must be supported to retain resilience, Welsh heritage and sustainability.
• Modernised governance arrangements which ensure that those involved in making decisions about the new National Park have the necessary skills and are representative of both local communities and the wider population of Wales.

Gareth Ludkin, Senior Policy Officer at Campaign for National Parks said: “We welcome proposals for a new National Park in north east Wales and believe this is a once in a generation opportunity for Wales to create a truly exemplar National Park that leads the way for the rest of the UK.

“We want to see a new National Park which can tackle the dual climate and nature crises of today whilst also taking hold of the opportunity to build resilient communities, manage visitor pressures and innovate for the future health and wellbeing of Wales and the UK.”

With attention now turning to the consultation in the autumn, the signatories are keen to ensure their joint statement is used to strengthen the proposals and create a truly transformative national park.

Caroline Conway from the Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales, said: “This is a wonderful opportunity to model the way we would like to see all designated landscapes managed, and can act as a bridgehead to further expansion of existing national parks and national landscapes.”

Friends of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Chair, Martyn Holland, said: “Friends are keen to see the opportunity taken to enhance and protect the special landscape in our area, with biodiversity and nature recovery to the fore. We welcome the emphasis that this must be done whilst maintaining the resilience and sustainability of local communities.”

Natural Resources Wales, the organisation leading work on the new national park, has just released an Engagement Period Report which highlights a number of key opportunities as well as concerns which were raised during a period of public engagement in November 2023.