Prior to the Christmas break, the OPEN SPACES SOCIETY (OSS), Britain’s oldest national conservation body, expressed full support for the proposed new national park in north-east Wales.
The society believes that the national park designation will benefit the splendid, varied landscape of this region, its wildlife and culture, and will help to promote responsible public access and enjoyment. However, it has also called for the Welsh government to make sufficient funds available to resource the park so that the existing protected landscapes are not penalised.
Kate Ashbrook, the society’s general secretary, said, “We are delighted that Natural Resources Wales has consulted on the proposed new national park in north-east Wales, and we give it a strong green light. This area has great natural beauty and opportunities for public enjoyment which will be enhanced by national park designation.
“There are some significant areas of common land here, for instance in the Clywdian Hills, the Berwyns, and the Ceiriog and Tanat valleys, which are important for their history and culture, wildness and tranquillity and for public access. We should also like Halkyn Mountain to be included in the park as a valued area for recreation.
“However, the new national park must be properly resourced and must not reduce the funding available for other protected landscapes in Wales. We believe that a national park provides excellent value for money, by attracting recreational users it will generate income for the local economy, as well as boosting people’s health and well-being.
‘The new national park authority will be well placed to improve the recreational opportunities here. The highway authorities can, if they wish, delegate some of their powers to the park which will liaise with landowners and the public, and provide a ranger service to smooth relations and understanding and manage any recreation pressures.
“The park authority can also establish a local access forum to bring all the interests together. All this is hugely beneficial to the area, those who live there and those who visit.
Public path lifeline
The OSS also welcomed at the UK government’s Boxing Day announcement that it intends to abolish the 2031 cut-off for recording public paths. With other path-user groups, the Society has pressed for the repeal of the deadline; for 24 years it has threatened the unique path network.
The deadline means that on 1 January 2031, public rights over thousands of paths, which are public highways but not yet recorded as such, or not yet recorded correctly, will be extinguished, with those rights being lost for ever. If a way is not recorded on the definitive map and statement of rights of way, it can disappear under development.
Users have been frantically researching the historic evidence to claim paths, but there is no way that they can research them all before the deadline. The county and unitary authorities, which have a duty to process the applications, do not have sufficient resources and so the backlog of claims is growing.
Ashbrook said, “The authorities must be resourced so that they can process the applications to add paths to the maps. Too many routes hang in limbo, waiting to be recorded on the maps. The history of our landscape is written in our public-path network. Those paths must be recognised in law and practice. We are relieved that the government intends to take this important step to safeguard our vital paths.”
Main photo: Moel Famau in the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley landscape.
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