UKC

Outdoor and environmental groups have welcomed the Welsh Government's proposal to establish a new National Park in north-east Wales, but would like aspects of the plan to go further. A consultation on the park, which centres on the Clwydian Hills and Dee Valley, and which would be the country's fourth, recently concluded. 

Read more

I’ve lived inside the boundary of the proposed National Park for the last 28 years and the area is stunning with  a unique beauty and landscape. Unfortunately there’s a few issues within the existing AONB that really need sorting out before NP status is granted. Many years ago I gave up rock climbing and took up road cycling. The quantity of litter and general garbage I see strewn along the roads within the existing AONB is appalling, surely this has to be addressed? A few years ago either the Council or AONB installed payment machines in all of the main Moel Famau car parks. This inevitably resulted in people parking on the verges of the road to avoid paying and as a result, causing significant erosion and environmental damage. Charging people to access the great outdoors is, in my view, abhorrent. By all means have a new National Park, but please, sort out the fundamentals first. 

These issues are evident - I would counter by saying that National Park status and the additional resourcing this would necessarily bring in from central government is the most obvious way of meeting these needs. As Northumberland and others prove, designation is no guarantee of a flood of new visitors. The question of funding and additionality is key as all of our parks are treading water.

I have my own reservations about the way NRW have approached this, but I do think that designation means that the NPA will be tasked with trying to address the problems and hopefully, help restore nature in this part of Wales.

It'll also mean that more farmers can access more money via the new Ffermio Bro scheme (those in the former AONB (now National Landscape) would have already qualified but the new Park is much larger). 

https://landscapeswales.org.uk/ffermio-bro-a-new-scheme-for-farmers-in-desi...