A New Galloway man fears a nationwide park within the area may result in “industrial vandalism to our pristine landscapes”.
Stuart Littlewood spoke out after what South Scotland MSP Emma Harper described as a “very productive assembly” with the Galloway Nationwide Park Affiliation.
In a Fb publish in regards to the gathering, the SNP MSP mentioned she had made it clear that a nationwide park should have the appropriate planning mannequin and deal with the local weather emergency “via, for instance, not opposing renewable vitality”.
That has sparked concern from Stuart Littlewood that extra windfarms might be on the best way – even after the affiliation instructed him they solely favoured renewable vitality schemes comparable to particular person generators or photo voltaic panels on homes.
Mr Littlewood mentioned: “In that case, why the warning to not oppose renewable vitality?
“It appears to me more likely, given Scottish Authorities’s mindset, that any promise of a nationwide park will probably be given that industrial vandalism to our pristine landscapes have to be allowed to proceed with out grievance.”
In response, Ms Harper mentioned: “I've met with members of the Galloway Nationwide Park Affiliation on a lot of events and listened to their case for designating an space for a nationwide park in Dumfries and Galloway, which might be useful to many individuals together with native communities and guests alike.
“Nonetheless, I've been persistently clear that we can't have a nationwide park for nationwide park’s sake and that any potential nationwide park should have the appropriate mannequin and should work within the curiosity of all in our area.
“One of many areas I've raised with the Galloway Nationwide Park Affiliation is over renewable vitality.
“At the moment, because it stands, renewable vitality developments usually are not usually permitted inside nationwide parks.
“Nonetheless, I've raised a query of the Scottish Authorities to ask whether or not any potential Nationwide Park won't exclude any renewable vitality growth, significantly given the present price of dwelling disaster, international local weather emergency and want to make sure resilience of fresh and inexperienced vitality.
“Shifting ahead, I'll proceed to hearken to all – our farmers, our land house owners and residents – on their views on a Galloway Nationwide Park, and I stay up for the controversy persevering with.”
Galloway Nationwide Park Affiliation chairman Rob Lucas added: “We didn’t change our view on renewables which is that’s decided by the planning framework and whether or not that's permissible in a nationwide park.
“I believe there was a misunderstanding as a result of there are some renewables which are permissible comparable to particular person wind generators comparable to you would possibly get powering an outlying constructing or particular person farm.
“There might be on-building photo voltaic buildings and issues like micro hydro.
“I noticed Emma’s wording and thought it wasn’t as clear because it may have been.
“Our place hasn’t modified.
“We recognise that wind farms and nationwide park are unlikely to go collectively within the present framework and due to this fact usually are not supportive of windfarms within the core a part of the park, significantly these areas that don’t have windfarms for the time being.
“From a nationwide park perspective, placing a windfarm in a spot that's already surrounded by windfarms doesn’t actually have an effect on its nationwide park standing as a result of it’s fairly seemingly it wouldn’t get nationwide park standing on the idea of the opposite windfarms.
“I believe it was confusion of the best way renewables had been used.
“We’re supportive of small scale renewables however recognise windfarms and nationwide parks don’t go collectively within the nationwide framework and due to this fact wouldn’t be supportive of windfarms in locations that don’t presently have them.”