New National Park plans rejected by cabinet

Richard Evans, local democracy reporter

Senior councillors have again rejected plans for a new north Wales national park – fearing the proposals don’t explain who is funding the plans or highlight how infrastructure could cope.

At a cabinet meeting this week at the council’s Ruthin County Hall HQ, Denbighshire County Council councillors were tasked with coming up with a draft response to Natural Resource Wales’ (NRW) consultation.

Councillors have already expressed concern at a special meeting earlier this month, but the cabinet was tasked with rubberstamping the response.

NRW has been assigned the job of looking at how a new Glyndŵr National Park could be created within the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape.

If the plans get the go-ahead, around 46% of Denbighshire’s land area and 13% of its population would fall within the proposed national park boundary.

The proposed park would also stretch from Denbighshire into neighbouring Flintshire and Wrexham and would be the fourth in Wales – and the first since 1957.

The Welsh Government claims national parks help tourism, as well as protecting wildlife and the environment.

Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Hugh Evans said there was a lack of consistency.

“It is really important that full council’s voice is heard, and we base the discussion based on the report,” he said.

“And there were pluses and minuses, of course, but it is important that, because there was a lack of consistency and funding available, the unknowns on the governance, and the consequential risk to services, it was a risk too far to take at this time, and I’m pleased that the recommendation for full council has been put forward by the lead member for consideration by cabinet; therefore, the position of the authority is very clear.”

Financial climate

Cllr Delyth Jones agreed with Cllr Evans and added: “I also thank you for the comment in the current financial – the very difficult financial climate ahead of us – we face setting the next budget where we are seeing increasing pressures once again on our budget, and I agree that taking this step now without having sufficient information and assurances about how this would be funded isn’t a sensible step to take at the moment.”

Cllr Rhys Thomas said the authorities who had presented the idea had put “the cart ahead of the horse” and wanted to know how the new National Park would be funded.

“But what we haven’t heard, the vitally important element, is who is going to fund it? How is it going to be funded? What impact is it going to have on Denbighshire County Council?” he said.

“We haven’t received answers to all the things that should have been calculated before bringing this type of proposal to us.”

Cllr Thomas added he was very supportive and would like to see many more National Parks in Wales but said: “You have to work out the basics first.”

He also added it would hopefully be a lesson to Welsh Government not to bring things to the council that weren’t ready.

Cllr Arwel Roberts said he wasn’t in favour of a National Park and that the council needed to improve its roads as a priority.

The cabinet backed the consultation response.

Tourism

The response cited the risk to tourism; the pressure on infrastructure; lack of clarity on future planning issues, such as the council’s local development plan; the potential rising of house prices; and the impact on services.

“While Denbighshire County Council supports the principle of enhanced landscape protection and the sustainable development opportunities that National Park designation could bring, on the basis of the information provided so far, the council rejects the proposal for a new National Park at this time until further clarity on governance, planning, and financial arrangements – as well as transition plans – is received.”

The response added: “Denbighshire County Council feels that Welsh Government should delay a decision on the designation until after the Senedd elections in May 2026, when there may be greater clarity and certainty around resourcing.”

At the earlier special meeting this month, councillors raised how the county might struggle to cope with “potentially 100,000 more visitors” when the council was “closing toilets”.

“Why would we want to put ourselves under more pressure by bringing in potentially 100,000 more visitors into Denbighshire when our infrastructure is not robust enough to handle it,” said Cllr Huw Hilditch-Roberts.