‘Difficult to justify’ new national park

Plans to create a new national park for Wales with its southern gateway being Llanfyllin has received a lukewarm welcome from one of the candidates running for Montgomeryshire at the next General Election.

Plans have gone out to consultation for the proposed fourth national park based on the current Clwydian Range and Dee Valley area.

But Natural Resources Wales (NRW), who have been commissioned by the Welsh Government to be the Designating Authority in Wales, are evaluating a much larger area that stretches down to Llanfyllin and Llanfair Caereinion and incorporates Lake Vyrnwy.

Following Monday’s open day in Llanfyllin to view the plans and discuss with officials, Plaid Cymru’s parliamentary candidate, Cllr Elwyn Vaughan, said: “It’s difficult to justify the expense of a new National Park at a time of austerity.”

Following the consultation, all responses and any amendments to the boundary will be considered before presenting a recommendation to Welsh Government.

Cllr Vaughan added: “We attended a Powys Council seminar (on the same day) only to be told of the huge financial pressures facing local authorities in general and Powys specifically with the need to save £18m in 2024/5 alone.

“Yet then in Llanfyllin, Natural Resources Wales were consulting on the new proposed National Park extending down as far as Llangadfan. It’s difficult to see the advantages of a new National Park whilst facing multi-million-pound cuts in Powys.

“The existing National Parks already face cuts and financial pressures, it is inevitable therefore that the creation of an extra local authority in essence will draw from the same ever diminishing pot of money and exasperate the situation.”

Cllr Vaughan (pictured) said there were also concerns shared about a park status creating further housing pressures by pushing house prices up, creating tourism honey pots and congestion and planning restrictions.

“At a time when local authorities have to do a new LDP (Local Development Plan), wouldn't it be better to incorporate the best values of a park into that rather than create another tier of expensive bureaucracy and in essence a new local authority. It is imperative that all concerned respond to the current consultation.” he said.

A decision on the park will be made during the current term of the Senedd, which runs through to May 2026.