Galloway group is no more

A GROUP set up to lobby for National Park status for Galloway is being disbanded - with a warning for the future of the area.

It was announced this week that the Galloway National Park Association (GNPR) has been dissolved following the Scottish Government decision to abandon its plan for the area.

The association’s final statement is, again, highly critical of the move, which they say makes the future ‘increasingly bleak’ for the next generations.

Former chair Rob Lucas doesn’t believe there will be a change of heart by the government in the short to medium term.

He said: “The former trustees of GNPA are proud to have fought for a National Park to underpin a better future for the area, providing a rare opportunity to put Galloway in the spotlight.

“It is frustrating that a genuine discussion on the merits, or otherwise, of a National Park for Galloway never really took place. Facts and details were harder to come by than they should have been, and it was even harder to agree on their interpretation.

“It is regrettable that the process pitched sectors and individuals against each other whilst Scottish Government and its various agencies retreated to the fence.”

And he thanked everyone who backed them, adding: “We are grateful to all our members and supporters and those who supported a National Park in the consultations, including those who looked beyond their own interests and gave thought to Galloway as a whole.

“Those councillors who provided steadfast support throughout are worthy of our special thanks.”

In a message to the objectors, he said: “Some who opposed a Park may now be regretting their position as inappropriate windfarms and forestry schemes encroach on their communities.”

Meanwhile, the GNPR has also revealed that the Scottish Government “quietly withdrew” its commitment to create at least one new National Park in this Parliament, which became apparent when the Reporter published its evidence at the time of the Cabinet Secretary’s announcement not to proceed.

“It was puzzling at the time but it is now clear that its commitment to creating a National Park had been quietly dropped. Perhaps that was the key piece of information that might have unlocked a more civilised conversation,” said Mr Lucas.

However, the group hopes that the Reporter’s recommendations can still be taken forward for the area.

These included sustained investment in access and visitor management; a new plan for the Galloway Forest Park with greater emphasis on people and nature alongside commercial forestry; completion of the coastal path as a key visitor attraction; a renewed commitment to the National Scenic Areas; a better resourced Biosphere with a stronger focus on nature recovery; and ongoing support for the work of the Solway Firth Partnership.

Their departing statement notes that making any of these happen without the long-term funding of a National Park will be harder “but the environment will always underpin Galloway’s future”.

Finally, they call on councillors, MSPs and others to come forward and work together and for the public to get behind them, adding: “We need all parts of Galloway to move on from just surviving to actively thriving.”