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Since the Scottish Government announced in July 2024 that Galloway was the potential location for a new National Park, we have seen a passionate but polarised debate for us, as people of the region, about the way forward.

I hope we all want to see a productive and informed debate to help our businesses and communities make their own decisions about what the future of Galloway should be in this context.

To do that though, we all need to ensure we are clear about the facts surrounding the process.

There is a lot of information about the process on the Information Hub – A proposal for a National Park in Galloway.

We are all being asked to think about what a new type of National Park in Galloway could deliver in meeting our aspirations for the future.

Big decision needs careful thought

This is a big decision which requires careful thought, and we are only likely to get the opportunity to make that decision once.

Therefore, the key point at this stage of the process, and critical for us to understand, is that nothing has been decided.

We are not being asked to consider whether we want to have a National Park that looks like the existing National Parks in Scotland, or to recreate those structures.

We, as a region, have been given the unique chance to create the one we want, if that is what we decide.

No single blueprint for a new National Park is prescribed in any legislation.

All the legislation says is that, if a new National Park is agreed, a Park Board would be established with at least 60% local representation from the region, which would appoint a Chief Executive and produce and deliver a Park Plan.

The legislation also recognises that a Park may have a role in the planning system but, for example, by being consulted on applications if that is what we want.

There is therefore plenty of scope to consider what is the right model for this area and its people.

Formal consultation set to begin

The National Park process will shortly enter the next phase, with the formal consultation period beginning in November. 

This will give us all an opportunity to input sensibly and responsibly on what we want as a region.

We already have in our region designations that recognise the uniqueness of what we have and are proud of in Galloway. 

Specifically, the internationally acclaimed UNESCO Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere, which was re-accredited and increased in size recently, with those who visited from UNESCO describing it as one of the best in the world. 

The Biosphere has worked hard to build support from the bottom up in communities and business for its work, which is shaped and informed by the region.

As we think about a National Park, we should also think about how that fits with the Biosphere, as it likely that whatever boundary is proposed for a National Park would be within the Biosphere boundary.

While we at South of Scotland Enterprise supported the submission of the bid, we do not have a formal position on whether we are for or against a National Park as yet.

We will develop that as we look to respond to the formal consultation.

Respectful debate

But we do have a key role now to ensure that all those impacted by the proposal for a new National Park are able to consider what might work for Galloway as a whole, sensibly and without pressure from any view one way or the other.

It is, of course, right that we debate these issues, but people need to choose wisely, informed by accurate information.

And to allow that debate to happen, I would urge everyone to conduct these discussions in a respectful way, with understanding of other people’s positions and perspectives and without personal attacks.