Public meeting in Powys over proposed new National Park

A public meeting scheduled to be held in Llanrhaeadr Village Hall will play host to a discussion on a proposed National Park in Wales that would cover the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The meeting will be held on Friday, November 1 at 7pm, with invited guests that include Montgomeryshire MP Steve Witherden, Montgomeryshire MS Russell George and Powys councillor Elwyn Vaughan, as well as community councillors and representatives from the National Farmers' Union and the Farmers' Union of Wales.

The meeting will be chaired by farmer and S4C presenter Alun Elidyr, while members of the public are also welcome to attend.

OTHER NEWS:

• Village school site near Newtown hits the market before relocation
• The Traitors star heading to Powys towns and villages as part of epic charity walk
• Leading Powys building contractor's fire-ravaged office can be replaced

The meeting has been organised as part of the ongoing consultation over the proposed park, which has been developed by Natural Resources Wales, who were tasked by the Welsh Government assessing the evidence and case for what could be the first new national park in Wales for several decades.

Ash Pearce, programme manager in NRW’s designated landscapes programme team, said: "While we have a statutory procedure to follow, we want to ensure that this is an inclusive process and that people have the opportunity to share their views on the proposals.”

Cllr Vaughan, has criticised the proposal in earlier discussions on the issue, saying: “It's difficult to see the advantages of a new National Park whilst facing multi-million pound cuts in Powys.

READ MORE: Powys Council opposes NRW's plan for new national park

“The existing National Parks already face cuts and financial pressures, it is inevitable therefore that the creation of a extra local authority in essence will draw from the same ever diminishing pot of money and exasperate the situation.

“NRW is cutting 250 posts, closing visitor centres, and can’t undertake essential environmental work – surely wouldn’t it be better to give the £30m to clean our rivers and get proper environmental benefits?

“Our schools budgets are cut to the bone, more schools are set to close, leisure centres are under threat, effects of high inflation as a result of the Liz Truss budget and now further cuts by the new Labour Gov crippling all public services - having a new authority now is not sustainable.”