The SNP must use a statement in Holyrood tomorrow to confirm a new national park in Galloway and Ayrshire will not be given the green light in its current guise.
Galloway and West Dumfries MSP Finlay Carson insists the whole consultation process has been “deeply flawed” and lacked any sort of transparency, with local people kept in the dark throughout.
Finlay says that SNP rural affairs secretary Mairi Gougeon cannot plough ahead regardless with the plans first drawn up on Lorna Slater’s watch when the extremist Greens were in government with the SNP.
To do so would “ride roughshod” over the concerns of local people and she must accept that their current proposals cannot proceed.
The MSP believes the SNP’s consultation process has also caused “deep division” within his constituency and the surrounding communities, and sown mistrust among those who would ultimately be affected.
Finlay has also urged Mairi Gougeon to back his calls for an independent review into the performance of current national parks before designating any new ones.
Scottish Conservative Galloway and West Dumfries MSP Finlay Carson said: “This statement must confirm that the SNP’s current plans for a national park in Galloway and Ayrshire simply won’t go ahead.
“The whole consultation process, which has been led and supported by SNP ministers, has been deeply flawed from the start. In typical SNP fashion it has lacked any transparency and left local people in the dark.
“Mairi Gougeon must accept that this is the end of the road for these proposals. She cannot stand up in Holyrood and ride roughshod over the widespread concerns of my constituents.
“The SNP must also recognise that this whole saga has created deep divisions within communities in my constituency and that bitterness won’t be healed overnight.
“It is also wrong that they were ploughing ahead with plans for a new national park in Scotland without backing the calls from myself and others for a full review into the existing national parks.
“People in Galloway and Ayrshire are keenly awaiting this statement to see whether they have finally been listened to or if their huge concerns will be ignored by arrogant SNP ministers who think they know best. It simply must be the former.”