Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 07 June 2022
I am glad that we are having this debate on national parks, including a discussion of how important they are in bringing social and economic benefits across Scotland.
After years of stalling on the issue, it is good to see the Scottish Government finally joining us in our long-standing position, and supporting the creation of at least one new national park.
Members have noted the fascinating perspective that there are more 3,500 national parks in the world, but only two in Scotland, despite our world-renowned countryside and stunning scenery. That compares with three national parks in Wales, 10 in England and 13 in New Zealand.
Quality is more important than quantity, but we can and should do much more with the designation of national park status. As our amendment to the motion highlights, we also want the Scottish Government to explore other avenues to formally recognise and capitalise on Scotland’s many outstanding areas of natural capital where national park status might not be appropriate.
As I represent Mid Scotland and Fife, I am lucky to represent part of the incredible Loch Lomond and the Trossachs national park, the virtues of which were expounded on by Jackie Baillie in her fascinating history lesson, with further historical context being provided by Mark Ruskell. I want to focus my remarks on the constructive lessons that can be gained from the experiences of that national park.
Community support and consultation are vital to the success of any national park—a point that has been made by many members in the debate. Twenty years ago, the creation of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs national park was not without controversy. Many people who lived and worked within its proposed boundary were extremely concerned about what the area’s becoming a national park could mean for their communities.
It is therefore important that the views of all those who live and work in areas that are being considered as new national parks are taken into consideration, and that the consultation is a meaningful process. There should be consultation on how the new national park will be governed, what its remit will be and what powers it will have.
We have an opportunity to re-evaluate how our existing parks operate and are resourced, so that when we have newly created national parks, they all have the same capacity, powers and access to resources. It is now more than 20 years since the original national parks legislation was enacted. A full review of that legislation and how it has been implemented would ensure that all our national parks are properly supported to face the many challenges that lie ahead—not least of which is their role in delivering net zero targets. I would therefore welcome a commitment from the minister that the remits, powers and governance for both existing national parks will be reviewed and updated as part of the process.
We need to enable and empower national parks to operate as autonomous bodies and to be able to effectively carry out their responsibilities, free from external pressures.
As we have heard during the debate, we are looking for national parks playing an important role in tackling biodiversity loss, achieving net zero targets and promoting environmental protection. Critically, that means that national park authorities must have adequate resources to deliver on those outcomes.
For example, the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority is undertaking a series of extensive peatland and woodland restoration projects—they are very exciting projects—as part of its net zero delivery plans. Such projects will require sustained long-term revenue, as well as capital support, for many years ahead. However, years of cuts to local government budgets make it increasingly difficult, and sometimes impossible, to finance such projects. That is something that the minister has to acknowledge in the debate.
Another challenge that we have seen in recent years, which has been mentioned today, concerns how national parks can best manage the increasing numbers of visitors during peak seasons. That issue came to light at particular times during the Covid-19 pandemic. The challenge in that regard has been highlighted by the Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland’s Scottish national parks strategy project, which comments in its briefing paper that,
“The effort that Scotland has put into marketing its world class landscapes, has not been matched by provision for caring for them”.
That is a very good point.
National parks can share best practice on how they can best cater for the increasing number of visitors during peak seasons, and how they can promote sustainable tourism. In response to some of the pressures, the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority has, over the past couple of years, introduced new seasonal by-laws and created camping management zones to deal with the excess number of visitors. Without using those extra powers, the national park and the ranger service would not have been able to properly manage heavily used sensitive locations and protect the communities that they serve.
The Scottish Government can play an important role in that area by reviewing the existing powers that are available to national park authorities and the penalties that are available, for example, for littering, fly-tipping and other forms of unacceptable behaviour that have, unfortunately, increased over the past couple of years. Changes are also needed to give local police, local authorities and the ranger service additional powers that can help them to deal more effectively with such unacceptable behaviour.
I conclude by welcoming the creation of at least one new national park. I also welcome the opportunity that that presents for us to look at how we resource and empower existing parks, as well as new parks, and help them to deliver on net zero targets. I also urge the Scottish Government to address the inadequacy of the current powers that are available to national parks. That would benefit every rural location in Scotland, whether it is in a national park or not.
I support the amendment in Brian Whittle’s name.
16:22