South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth has welcomed the news that the Scottish Government has formally opened the nomination process for Scotland’s next national parks.

However, the local MSP has warned that the model for a future park must put the local community first and ensure that jobs and housing are as important as environmental protection in any new parks.

Colin Smyth has been a long standing supporter of increasing the number of national parks in Scotland, having secured the backing of the Scottish Parliament in October 2019 “that new national parks should be designated” by the Scottish Government.

Colin Smyth said: “It’s four years since Parliament backed my amendment to support the designation of new national parks, so I am pleased at long last the Scottish Government have got round to discussing where those new parks should be.

“Thanks to the hard work of the Galloway National Park Association, a new national in Galloway is seen as the obvious front runner, and has significant public support, including from Dumfries and Galloway Council as far back as when I chaired its economy and environment committee, and from councils in Ayrshire.

“With an internationally designated United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization biosphere, the first dark skies park in Scotland, the stunning Galloway forest, a rich mosaic of farmland that is important to delivering food security and amazing wildlife, Galloway has been a national park in waiting for years and I am in no doubt that it’s time has come.  

“It is more that six years since a report for the Galloway National Park Association revealed that a new national park could add between 250,000 and 500,000 new visits each year to Galloway and South Ayrshire—worth £30 million to £60 million in additional spend—helping to create and support between 700 and 1,400 additional jobs to complement existing jobs in crucial sectors such as agriculture.

“That could be a real game changer for the economy of Galloway and the potential economic boost is why I have backed the campaign for so long. It is therefore vital that the model adopted by the Scottish Government ensures we have living, working and community led National Parks. I fully understand that with the Greens in Government, farmers are concerned that some Ministers may press for excessive restrictions. But we know that agriculture has thrived in many other parts of the UK and abroad within National Parks. That will happen if the Scottish Government puts the local community first and ensures that jobs and housing are as important as environmental protection in any new parks”.

Colin Smyth also hopes that the Scottish Government doesn’t restrict itself to just one new National Park and has also backed the campaign for a Borders National Park, pointing out that the Government commitment was to “at least” one new National Park. At present Scotland has falling behind the rest of the UK in designating National Parks, with no new parks adopted since the last Labour Government established Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park in 2002 and Cairngorms National Park in 2003. While Scotland has two National Parks covering 7.3% of the land, there are three in Wales covering 20% of the land area and 10 in England covering 10%.

Colin Smyth added, “The Scottish Government commitment was to at least one new National Park, not only one. I hope they will show ambition and designate more than one or at the very least make clear that others will follow if just one is successful in this Parliament. With just two National Parks at present, Scotland has fallen way behind the rest of the UK and is failing to benefit from the huge positive impact of National Parks.

“At present Scotland’s two national parks are in central and northern Scotland. The time has come to ensure that the next National Parks are here in South Scotland including a Borders National Park. The southern part of the Borders in particular, which is the favoured area of the campaign for a Scottish Borders national park, is in pressing need of an economic boost. With easy access to the central belt and the north of England, a Borders National Park would help to deliver that boost and bring in more visitors to the area. It’s time to believe in the Borders.”.