Rural Affairs Secretary Dismisses Referendum for Galloway National Park

Mairi Gougeon, the rural affairs secretary, has dismissed the proposition of conducting a referendum concerning plans to establish Scotland’s third national park in Galloway. Ms. Gougeon indicated that a current consultation process would enable inhabitants of the region to articulate their perspectives on the proposals. The intended site for a new national park, situated in the south of Scotland, was disclosed in July, following the establishment of the Cairngorms and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs national parks. Nevertheless, the chosen location has generated controversy, and a campaign has commenced in opposition to the proposal. Proponents of the initiative assert that it possesses the potential to elevate the area’s profile and stimulate its economy. During her appearance before Holyrood’s Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee, Ms. Gougeon was questioned regarding the viability of a local referendum as a potential path forward. SNP MSP Fergus Ewing proposed that it was “surely the only real way to measure opinion.” He further commented, “I thought our party was in favour of referendums.” Ms. Gougeon articulated her conviction that it was crucial to complete the consultation process. She elaborated, stating, “I’m in favour more of that process because I think within that we ask people if they want a national park within that area.” She continued, “But there’s also the wider qualitative information that we’re getting out of that too.” Ms. Gougeon affirmed that individuals participating in the consultation would have the opportunity to provide input on the prospective boundaries of the national park. She underscored the importance of considering a range of perspectives concerning the site. When queried about whether she was precluding a local referendum, her response was: “Yes.” Mr. Ewing, who mentioned having resided in both national parks, asserted that no independent assessment of the efficacy of either existing park had been conducted over the two decades since their inception. Ms. Gougeon declared that she would not suspend the consultation for the proposed national park to conduct an independent evaluation of the established ones. However, she conveyed to MSPs that it was “concerning” to observe the extent to which the proposal had created division among residents in the south of Scotland. She further remarked: “I think there has been concern that this is a done deal, that the government had a commitment to establish a park and regardless of what happens that would be taking place anyway.” She clarified: “That is by no means the case.” She reiterated: “As I say, I want to hear what people in the area think about it before then determining any next steps.” The consultation, administered by NatureScot, is currently active and will conclude on 14 February.