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NatureScot Chair rejects call for Galloway National Park consultation to be halted

NatureScot Chair Professor Colin Galbraith has rejected a call from No Galloway National Park (NGNP) campaigners to halt what has been widely criticised as a biased public consultation process.

With just three weeks left of the engagement programme to run Prof Galbraith told campaigners at a meeting in Dumfries on Wednesday (January 22) that “we are where we are,” but promised that the agency’s recommendation to the Scottish Government will be based only on results of the Consultation.

No Galloway National Park Campaign co-founders Liz Hitschmann and Denise Brownlee and fellow campaigner Brian McAllister met Prof Galbraith on Wednesday (January 22) and made clear the widespread discontent with the process, but the campaigners have accepted in good faith his promise that consultation responses will be treated fairly and openly.

NatureScot has been commissioned by the Scottish Government to run the Consultation which closes on February 14 and will report the outcome to rural affairs secretary Mairi MSP by the end of April. A decision to proceed or not is expected by the end of the summer, and approval will then be followed by further consultation on proposed legislation.

The campaigners have now reinforced their call for everyone in the area concerned by the proposal to submit their views by completing the online survey.

Denise Brownlee said: “We recognise that Prof Galbraith was very keen to restore our trust in the process, and we can only believe his promise that the advice given to the Minister will be a fair reflection of opinion in the area.

“Prof Galbraith seemed to accept we are being asked to give our views on legislation which is all going to change, so it is impossible to have a clear view of what we are being asked to consider when it doesn’t exist.

“We will only have to go through anther consultation, so the process should be halted till everyone knows what these changes are and how they will impact on us.”

“Nothing we’ve heard makes us think a National Park is a good idea, and we still believe the whole thing has been very badly handled, but if people don’t participate it will just give NatureScot the excuse to give it the green light.”

Recent public meetings have again illustrated the depth of opposition to the plan, with a meeting in Dalbeattie this week estimated to be about 15-1 against, and another in Gatehouse of Fleet 5-1.

Liz Hitchmann added: “We are pleased that Prof Galbraith wants to keep in touch with us because there is still a long way to go, and we are taking nothing for granted. We are not naive enough to think that NatureScot is no longer supportive of the principle of establishing a National Park in our area, but Prof Galbraith has given us an assurance and we will of course be holding him to that.

“But we can only do that if everyone who is opposed lets NatureScot know through the consultation and we are confident from our own experience that the majority of people do not want a National Park foisted upon them.”