IF RATTUS was cynical he would say that defining a massive new national park from North Powys to the coast was a quick fix to get to 30X30.

This is the commitment to get 30 per cent of land protected by 2030. If it just draws some lines on a map then nothing has actually changed.

There is loads of good habitat within the designated map, but Welsh Government has just cut the budget for the replacement to Glastir and farmers who have opted to take an environmentally friendly path are getting less now than they were 20 years ago. 

The much-delayed sustainable farming scheme will be hopeless for many farmers as the restrictions would put them out of business. A national park won’t change that. It will not pay for environmental farming.

It will make planning permission more restrictive. It should increase tourism and give farmers an alternative income from glamping and B&B but in other national parks house prices have increased and young people move away because they will never afford to buy a house. 

Rattus Rattus.