How to respond to NatureScot’s consultation on a new Galloway National Park

NatureScot is consulting on the Scottish Government’s proposal for a new National Park. The deadline is Valentine’s Day, 14 February 2025, you can view example consultation responses later in this article.

This written consultation forms an important part of the official process which could lead to the designation of a new National Park. Responses will inform NatureScot’s advice to Ministers due by April 2025. Further consideration and public consultation on details of the boundary and the powers, administration and governance of the new National Park would still have to happen before any designation order for a new National Park could be looked at by the Scottish Parliament.

Short Summary Consultation Response

You can chose to respond to  a short ‘summary version’ consultation survey.

This summary version asks you to say if you support the idea of a new NP or not, and to answer up to 10 straightforward questions. The questions mostly focus on the subjects that are legally required to be examined at this “reporting” stage of the new Park process set out in the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000. These include the potential boundary and name of the National Park; functions and powers the National Park Authority (NPA), the public body that would be set up to run the Park, might be given; how large the Board that would oversee the National Park should be, and who would be on it (ie the mix of elected and appointed members) and the expertise that would be required on the Board.

We have reproduced the summary survey questions, with an example of answers given by young adult (with their permission for us to reproduce them here as an example to help others in writing their responses). View their example response here.

Full Technical Consultation Response

Alternatively, you can chose to answer the longer “technical version” of the consultation survey which covers the same areas as the summary but also asks more detailed questions.eg separate questions about a Ranger Service, a local access forum and core path plans rather than just one general question about planning, access, forestry and windfarms together. This version is primarily aimed at organisations but individuals are welcome to fill it in too.

You can read the SCNP and APRS draft response to the full technical survey here. You are welcome to use this response to help you complete your own response.

With both surveys you can answer as many questions as you want and leave the others. In each it is important to answer the first question to indicate support for the idea of a new National Park, whether you want to comment on other aspects or not.

Before filling in a survey you can read the consultation document produced by NatureScot which explains the background to the proposal and explains more about potential boundary options, possible planning and access forum arrangements.