It’s a play area for townies

All National Parks are play areas for townies. We have to decide if we want them to be viable self sustaining communities or theme parks.

That requires rules around affordable local housing, second homes, access/parking, and what businesses and commercial activity is to be allowed. Having lived and worked on the edge of the Peak for nearly 25 years now, I’m pretty sure we haven’t got it right yet.

While I’d question just how many “self sustaining communities” the UK actually has, I take your points.

In just about every region that pulls the middle-classes in to gawp at the scenery or partake in outdoor activities/sports, property prices get pushed up out of local’s reach.

The worries about parking and overwhelmed butchers is just the fluff, thrown about to make locals seem a bit reactionary or a bit ‘unsophisticated‘, but it’s fair to say tourism has mixed impacts on a given area.

If it were my area I’d definitely want to see a ban on Air B’n’Bs and some sort of mechanism to keep property prices from hyper-inflating once the chattering classes catch wind…

As someone who lives in the area, the more money that comes into these towns the better in my view.
I know that’s narrow sighted, the incoming money will be mainly in the hotspots that already have a large number footfall. But with my very limited knowledge a lot of the towns around this area need income and jobs.

I don’t pretend to know how money will be filtered down, but I do see a lot of towns that need money.

Being a NP isn’t going to make things worse or better just because of a designation.

While that’s true, people lack imagination and so National Park = a lot more visitors than not a national park…

It is a vehicle to attract tourism. Nothing else really.

As others have said, we haven’t got the protection right for national parks. But I would balance that with there’s a lot of people who run businesses and life (retired!) who don’t like the change as much as anything, despite the long term economic benefits a national park brings to the communities, as it doesn’t benefit them.

Cutlet chaos.

Since the South Downs has been a National Park, you can’t move for townies. Especially in the towns! its murder ah tell thee.

Currently you can go out to the area and not see anyone all day, ride on the roads and they are empty etc

Not sure what benefits this would bring for locals really.

We were out on the downs yesterday… saw about 6 other people. Back in the day it probably would have been about 5!

There’s lots of local opposition to the proposal for a 3rd Scottish National Park in Dumfries & Galloway too. That’s based on what’s already been happening in the Loch Lomond & Trossachs and in the Cairngorms. There are also similar tourism pressures being felt in the Scottish Islands and along the coastal NC500 route, so many of the issues are occurring regardless of National Park status.

While D&G is lovely and I visit every year, it does seem that somewhere like the NW Highlands might be the more obvious choice for a new NP.

Or yeah, think laterally and have a long thin NP covering the NC500 route.

It is a vehicle to attract tourism. Nothing else really.

Other vehicles are available though – like the whole NC500 thing.

Cards on the table – I live in the UKs largest national park. I’m not convinced of the benefits, but then it’s also difficult to imagine whether things would be better or worse if it hadn’t been created. I think there are so many competing ideas of what the NP should be trying to achieve and at the same time the organisation is toothless as regards actual legislation.

Sounds like a typical nationalist rant. Don’t want tourists coming and spending time and money round here, we just want grants to provide us an income instead because we are special. I have some sympathy for the Airbnb/ holiday home argument but that can be controlled via planning. At the moment you dont need change of use consent to use a home as an Airbnb. That could easily be changed if politicians wanted to.

Visited D&G the other week – notably Kirkcudbright which had a splendid pub absolutely chock full of gin, Castle Douglas – which wasn’t as interesting as I had hoped – and Gatehouse of Fleet (no, I don’t really get the name) which has a lovely dog friendly cafe.

As per others have mentioned, lots of folk saying no to a new NP there – mostly because the infra to sustain it isn’t in place – hospitals closed, schools rammed, bus services being infrequent and unreliable etc – folk living there don’t want more pressure on services that are already having issues.

The dog liked the place – lots of locals carried dog biscuits with them… she was on a winner

Sounds like a typical nationalist rant. Don’t want tourists coming and spending time and money round here, we just want grants to provide us an income instead because we are special.

It’s a regional thing, not a nationalist thing. North Wales is virtually a separate country to us in the south, inhabited by about 12 actually Welsh Gogs – not enough to make a decent rugby team – and then filled up with Scousers, Brummies and Mancs. Every summer, on Welsh news, there will be reports about how to increase tourist numbers to North Wales, and the next day there’ll be reports about keeping tourists away because you can’t move in North Wales because of the tourists. At the same time as trying to get more tourists they do nothing to encourage them – tell tourists about Snowdon and then tow their car away when they aren’t watching!  😀

As per others have mentioned, lots of folk saying no to a new NP there – mostly because the infra to sustain it isn’t in place – hospitals closed, schools rammed, bus services being infrequent and unreliable etc – folk living there don’t want more pressure on services that are already having issues.

Perfect chicken and egg scenario….

Live in Kirkcudbright and have seen a lot of opposition to the NP proposal.  Its been mobilised very quickly and seems very well funded, but I cant see who is funding it? Maybe the NFU or the local shooting fraternity which is very active?

There are huge issues with local infrastructure as it is. The main A75 which is also a main freight route to NI via Cairnryan is dreadful in places. The local community hospital is closed except for the Drs surgery & some limited services. The wards are closed.  Water quality in the Dee estuary and Brighouse bay is consistently poor due to sewage outflow (one of the few measured places in Scotland). Elderly care facilities are massively understaffed. D&G Council have withdrawn a lot of funding for local facilities. I haven’t seen a proposal on how National Park status will address this?

That said the town businesses rely on tourists in the summer, but locals work hard to create a buzz which brings people in. I personally don’t have a view on whether its a good idea or not at the moment.

Seems like another typical PC view of North Wales.

PC = Plaid Cymru or Political Correctness?