Environment Minister Michael Russell has announced a review of Scotland's National Parks, the Cairngorms National Park and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs to ensure they are being run as efficiently and effectively as possible.
Speaking in Parliament yesterday, Russell also announced that the southern boundary of Cairngorms National Park is to be extended to include Blair Atholl and parts of eastern and Highland Perthshire. The move follows sustained campaigning by local communities to be included in the Park.
Russell said: "Our National Parks have an important role to play in achieving a greener Scotland, by supporting rural communities and improving the environment. Internationally, their iconic landscapes are at the heart of Scotland's image and reputation.
"The Parks have made good progress since they were established. Nevertheless, we are committed to simpler, more effective government and need to ask ourselves if we have the right model for running the Parks and what alternatives there might be.
"The review will look at the organisation and running of the National Parks, as well as more detailed matters such as planning powers. It will also look at whether there is a need for boundary changes.
"A strong case has already been made, however, for extending the southern boundary of the Cairngorms National Park. Scottish Natural Heritage will be taking forward this work whilst the review is underway.”
The Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park welcomed the announcement. The Park Convener, Mike Cantley, said: "We welcome the Minister's comments in Parliament today and we fully support his call for a Strategic Review of National Parks. Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park celebrated its fifth birthday last year, so we too believe that this call is timely."
John Scott MSP, the Conservative’s Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs & the Environment, said: “Scottish Conservatives welcome the Minister’s announcement today in extending the boundary of the Cairngorm National Park. This will be music to the ears of many of his colleagues and mine, particularly Murdo Fraser, who has campaigned tirelessly for many years for extending the Southern Boundary of the Cairngorm National Park.
Of the review, he added: “We believe that, on balance, both National Park Authorities should be retained, but with much reduced Board sizes. We believe in local democracy and a grass roots approach taking local public opinion into account and not imposing top down solutions, is required. That is why we welcome this review and hope that those who undertake it can reach elegant and consensual conclusions that build on the good work already done in creating the Parks and getting them to where they are today.”
Murdo Fraser, Scottish Conservative Deputy Leader and MSP for Mid-Scotland & Fife, added: “I warmly welcome the announcement from the Minister today about altering the southern boundary of the Cairngorms National Park. This is an issue that I have pursued since the Park was first established without any part of Perthshire included.
“There is a great deal of public support for amending the Park boundaries from all sorts of bodies in Perthshire and further afield, including the Pitlochry Partnership, the John Muir Trust, the Mountaineering Council of Scotland, the Blair Atholl Area Tourism Association, and many others.
“This announcement will not only right a wrong, but it is very good news for the Highland Perthshire economy. There is no doubt that as far as many visitors are concerned Blair Atholl is the natural southern gateway to the Cairngorms. Now Blair Atholl will be within the National Park and can develop as a proper a gateway centre. Similarly, Spittal of Glenshee, on the A93, will fall within the National Park, and should see economic benefit.”
Liberal Democrat Environment spokesperson Jim Hume said that the national parks must retain their autonomy. He said: “Any attempt to roll up the Park Authorities with Scottish Natural Heritage or downgrade their independent status would hamper the parks’ capability to achieve their objectives, namely meeting the varied needs of very different park areas across Scotland.
“The imminent strategic review must, therefore, retain the Loch Lomond, Trossachs National Park Authority and the Cairngorms National Park Authority as national bodies with at least five directly elected board members. This review must not prompt a move away from regional decision making.”
One person has commented on this article. 1. National park review announced
Anonymous, Unregistered I agree with the merging of both national parks.The amount of money that is being wasted by keeping two boards running is a drain on the public purse.
Loch lomond and the Trossachs National Park has to be looked at as its management are so laid back and waste a lot of public money examples. Rowardennan centre since day one when it oppened it did not work right the toilets facilities did not work they had to keep the old wooden toilet block opened for the public to use, then it was set on fire and the park had to spen public money on the centre to get the toilets working. Another area that had public money spent on it was the state of the art roof on the Gateway building that had to be recovered by using tax payers money due to the faat it let in water from day one. The management of the park have wasted public money year after year.
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