A ROW has broken out over plans for a new Scottish national park after a controversial survey found strong opposition to the proposals.
In July, the Scottish Government announced that Galloway was its preferred site for the new national park, which was pledged as part of the Bute House Agreement with the Greens and kept in place after it collapsed.
The National Farmers Union Scotland (NFUS) has opposed the plans since they were announced, with its vice president Alasdair Macnab saying that any new Scottish national park would be “unacceptable”.
This week, the NFUS published the results of a survey it had run which found that 73% of 1983 respondents were opposed to the creation of a new park.
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The union said: “The results from the most extensive survey in the proposed park area to date, which ran between February 2024 and September 2024, gives NFU Scotland a clear mandate to continue its opposition to the proposals.”
However, the Galloway National Park Association (GNAP) – which argues for the creation of a new national park in the area – has said that the results of the survey were a “foregone conclusion”.
The GNAP said that the survey had been shared among groups created to oppose the park, and said it had been conducted “before NatureScot’s Public Engagement period process – giving the factual information about the proposed Galloway National Park – had begun”.
One Facebook group, called No Galloway National Park, saw its 2300 members repeatedly urged to fill in the survey with negative responses before the deadline.
“This important process aims to make sure that everyone is fully informed about what it would mean for the region, ahead of the formal consultation period later this year.
“Whilst the survey was open to anyone wishing to express their views it was promoted to their members who were told, before its launch, that NFUS had resolved nationally to oppose the creation of any new National Parks.
“When the National Park bid process started in October 2023, and again when the online survey began, we provided the NFUS locally with information about the potential impact on farming, planning and land management.
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“This was not passed on to members even though it would have helped them separate fact from fiction regarding bureaucracy, planning controls and National Park powers.
“The NFUS survey was also promoted via the No GNP group.
“With all this in mind the outcome was a foregone conclusion.
“We encourage everyone, even if they responded to the NFUS Survey, to find out all they can about a potential Galloway National Park from NatureScot before making up their minds.
“This is a one-off chance to benefit from major investment designed to help Galloway thrive and prosper and should not be lost.”
The NFUS chair of the Dumfries and Galloway region, Stewart Wyllie, said: “We thank everyone, whether members of the public, the wider business community or the farming sector for completing the survey.
“NFU Scotland continues to meet with NatureScot to establish how it will fulfil its remit as reporter and ensure the views of all are considered. It has recently launched an online portal providing facts and we would encourage all with an interest in the proposal to visit https://newnationalparkgalloway.commonplace.is/ and have their say.
“We also understand that NatureScot will be distributing leaflets to all households in the postcode districts in, and close to, the proposed park area, explaining the consultation process and how to be involved in it.
“Backed by the survey results, NFU Scotland will be using the consultation process to underline our continued opposition and work in expressing these views to NatureScot, Scottish Government and wider stakeholders.”
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