NFU Scotland has reaffirmed its opposition to the designation of a new National Park in Galloway.
The union has emphasised that the proposal lacks clear benefits for farmers, food producers, and the rural economy.
Their formal consultation response has been shared along with the results of their latest survey, which found 76 per cent of members are against the proposals.
The NFUS submission highlights concerns over unnecessary bureaucracy and complexity for farmers, a lack of tangible advantages, potential disruptions to the planning system, a lack of transparency in the consultation process, more public access problems and uncertainty surrounding funding for the project as well as rising land prices, limited housing stock and agricultural issues as a result.
Dumfries and Galloway chair Stewart Wyllie said: “There are no details on how this National Park would be funded. At a time when public resources are stretched across essential services like healthcare, education, and social care, it is clear that a National Park is not a priority for the general public, nor for this region’s farmers and food producers.
“Our members overwhelmingly believe that the proposed National Park would prioritise tourism and visitor access at the expense of farming businesses with potential restrictions on land use, increased costs, and the risk of agricultural operations being sidelined in favour of conservation and recreation initiatives.”
However, he said they are committed to working collaboratively to achieve shared environmental and economic goals, with the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere and South of Scotland Enterprise.
“Rather than creating another layer of bureaucracy, we believe that strengthening and expanding the work of existing organisations would be a far more effective way to support local communities,” he added.
