Have your say on proposed National Park in North East Wales
Members of the public are being invited to have their say on a new proposed National Park in North East Wales.
Welsh Government has commissioned Natural Resources Wales (NRW), as the Designating Authority in Wales, to evaluate the case for a new National Park based on the existing Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
The case for a new National Park will be considered within the existing Senedd term (2021-2026).
NRW has announced a series of online and in-person engagement events during October and November which aim to give the public the chance to find out more about the project, ask questions of the team and share feedback on an early map of the area being assessed.
Engagement events range from in-person drop-ins at locations such as Canolfan Ceiriog and Loggerheads Country Park to online sessions. Whether attending in-person or virtually, attendees will receive the same information.
The engagement period will run from Monday 9 October until 23:59 on Monday 27 November 2023.
People will only need to attend one event, be that online or in-person as the information shared will be the same for each event.
Designated Landscapes, a classification encompassing National Parks and AONBs, currently cover a substantial 25% of Wales.
These are territories recognised for their inherent natural beauty and, for National Parks, the recreation opportunities they offer. If approved, this would mark the creation of Wales’ fourth National Park and the first since 1957.
NRW, acting as the Welsh Government’s statutory adviser on landscape and natural beauty, will use evidence-based processes allowing engagement with statutory consultees, the public, and other stakeholders.
Their focus will be consistent with the Welsh legislative and policy framework, prioritising the Sustainable Management of Natural Resources (SMNR) principles and emphasising nature recovery alongside climate adaptation and mitigation.
The outcome will then inform a recommendation submitted to the Welsh Government.
Ash Pearce, Project Manager, said: “There will be a full consultation on a proposed boundary map in 2024 when we have completed our assessments and refined the map.
“At this stage the map simply defines the area to focus our assessment work, we are interested in listening to and understanding all stakeholders’ points of view.
” I would urge anyone interested in the project to visit one of our online or in-person drop-in events to find out more about the work we are doing and share your feedback with us by completing a questionnaire.”
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