The Welsh Government plans to create a fourth national park in the north east of the country that will span parts of Denbighshire, Flintshire, Wrexham and Powys. The new national park will add to the existing Eryri, Pembrokeshire Coast and Bannau Brycheiniog national parks. It will aim to conserve and enhance the region's natural beauty as well as local wildlife and cultural heritage.
It was originally proposed by the Welsh Labour party in 2021, after which the Party asked Natural Resources Wales (NRW) to begin a consultation process and to look into the practicalities of creating one. The Welsh Government hopes that the new national park will be in place before the next election in 2026.
However, councillors at Powys are backing a motion that opposes the creation of the national park. The primary concern behind the motion is that it would add pressure to dwindling public finances. As it stands, the existing three national parks get around 75% of funding direct from the Government. This amounts to around £3-£4m a year. The rest of the funding comes through other initiatives, such as events, charging for car parks or planning application fees.
Councillor Elwyn Vaughan, group leader of Plaid Cymru which created the opposing motion, said "What it will do is cost about £4 million a year at a time when Powys needs to save £40 million over the next three year.” They're also claiming that the national park would see housing prices rise, making it worse for first time buyers in the area, and that setting up a new authority is not sustainable at a time when other authorities are struggling.
Keith Davies, NRW's principal adviser on designated landscapes, said that NRW would need to "clearly demonstrate in our decision-making process that we have fully considered the impacts both positive and potentially negative on the area" as well as any potential mitigation measures.
It is expected that NRW will publish a final map of the proposed national park area in 2024. They will then make their final recommendation to the Welsh Government around 2026, after which a final decision on whether to create the national park will be made.
