Campaigners calls for independent review of Scotland’s two national parks
There have been calls for an independent review on the performances and impacts of Scotland’s two national parks to date.
It comes as an SNP MSP has attacked one of his own ministers for her ‘shocking’ reply to concerns raised by campaigners opposed to the potential creation of a new national park in Lochaber.
Local veteran MSP Fergus Ewing made his criticisms at the Scottish Parliament’s Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee yesterday.
He described the response from Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon as ‘completely and utterly irrelevant’ to detailed points contained in a petition from the Lochaber National Park NO More (LNPNM) group.
The campaigners argue there must be a full, independent review of the two existing national parks − the Cairngorms (CNP) and Loch Lomond and The Trossachs (LLTNP) − before the Scottish Government carries out its plan to create at least one new park from five submitted bids.
They point out that in the 21 years since they were created, there has never been an independent review of national park performance or the impact they have on their areas.
Mr Ewing said: “The key ask here is that logically before you create new bodies you should have an independent review about how the existing bodies are performing and logically that’s a fairly strong argument, and that the review should be independent … and conducted after careful thought has been given to the remit.
“As far as I can see from my reading of the Scottish Government’s response, it is two pages but there is no response whatsoever to this argument and I find that quite shocking ... and it’s not the first time this has happened.
“The Permanent Secretary should be asked to have a look at these responses before they come to a committee because it’s surely quite insulting when the main thesis as outlined is simply not addressed at all.
“The only bit I could find that remotely approached it was the last paragraph − an overview of their performance is provided in their published annual report − but that’s their own document.
“So yes, the annual report does create a statement about what has been done during the year but it is by no means independent in any way and nor can it ever be professed as such, so this reply is completely and utterly irrelevant.”
Mr Ewing, MSP for Strathspey, added: “As a committee we should be concerned about getting irrelevant documents instead of a reasoned argument.
“The presentation we have had from the Scottish Government that all is well in the garden … is just not the case.
“I thought I’d mention that for the sake of balance because there isn’t any in the Scottish Government’s response.”
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The LNPNM, an alliance of residents, farmers, landowners, businesses and local politicians, are also fighting to prevent Lochaber being selected if the plan does go ahead, with Borders, Galloway, Tay Forest and Loch Awe also in the frame.
Amongst the LNPNM concerns are:
• the inadequate consultation with affected communities.
• Ignoring more pressing needs like road infrastructure and a new hospital for Lochaber.
• Overwhelming opposition from landowners.
• Canvassing of local opinion in the two existing parks is also overwhelmingly negative.
• LLTNP ignoring 94,000 objections to the Flamingo Land proposal
However, the nomination process has been completed and the Scottish Government says an announcement about which bids will still be taken forward is planned over the summer.
Committee convener Jackson Carlaw MSP agreed the Scottish Government had not addressed the issues raised in the petition, and the committee will now write in “strong terms” about the quality of its answers.
“The absence of an independent review is a gap and a lack of logic,” said Mr Carlaw, who said the Scottish Government’s insistence that a review was contained in the existing parks’ annual reports was “just marking their own homework”.
Mr Ewing also said: “The Scottish Government seems hell-bent, no matter what, and their [opponents] voices have been ignored.”
The committee will continue to gather evidence and campaigners will have a chance to speak at subsequent meetings.
Four LNPNM representatives attended the committee meeting, and afterwards spokesperson Debbie Carmichael said she was relieved that at last there was some official recognition of the poor replies they had received from ministers and officials.
LNPNM campaign leader Debbie Carmichael said: “We have written detailed letters to ministers and civil servants and each time all we receive is the same standard letter which does not address our points and ignores the very serious problems people living in the two current park areas face.
“It’s simply common sense that parks which cost £13m a year to run each should be properly reviewed before the Scottish Government commits to another one, and we don’t understand why ministers seem to think this isn’t necessary.”
Fellow LNPNM representative Ian MacKinnon, added: “They seem to think everything in the parks is rosy despite mounting evidence that it’s anything but.
“It’s surely their responsibility to take account of very clear problems and take appropriate action.
“But as it stands the only action they seem prepared to take is to patronise us with condescending non-answers as if we don’t understand the needs of the communities in which we live.
“They need to listen to us before they go any further.”
The Cairngorms National Park Authority said that it was unable to comment due to it being a pre-election period.
The full debate is available to watch by clicking here.
