COUNCILLORS will next week consider the local authority’s formal response to the Galloway National Park consultation — amid concerns raised by officials.
And protesters have revealed plans to stage a peaceful demonstration outside the specially-convened meeting in Dumfries on Wednesday afternoon.
Members of the No Galloway National Park campaign group will lobby councillors as they arrive at the session, which will be held at The Bridge.
Officials have not put forward a recommendation and it will be up to the elected members to decide how to respond to the consultation.
However, they have been briefed on work done by a short-life working group, featuring key council officers from planning, economic development, legal services and finance. They have reviewed the full technical consultation paper on the scope, remit, scale and size of a National Park and how it could be effectively delivered, as well as looking at the legal implications.
The working group has concluded that there has been “an opportunity missed” in the current consultation being run by NatureScot.
Explaining, environment manager Simon Fieldhouse said: “The council’s previous comments called for an exploration of an innovative new model; an opportunity missed in the current consultation which is focussed on creating a National Park Authority under the constraints of the existing legislation.
“As such the current consultation has become divisive, it is recognised that National Parks can create benefits and address problems, but equally they can create additional pressures and issues if the model is not appropriate for the region.”
Subsequently, councillors are being advised that: “Officers have highlighted that it may be more appropriate to encourage the Scottish Government to work with local stakeholders to develop a more innovative, regionally unique model for the South West of Scotland that could be assessed and commented on by local residents, businesses and communities to ensure that the model will be able to address local issues and maximise local benefit.”
