Council backs national park local referendum call

Councillors have backed a call for a referendum on plans to create Scotland's third national park in Galloway.

They voted 24 to 13 in favour of the move - with two abstentions - although the Scottish government has already ruled out a local ballot.

Opponents to the proposals staged a protest ahead of the vote outside council headquarters in Dumfries.

They claim a national park could see house prices rise and transport infrastructure struggle to cope but campaigners in favour say it would put the region on the map and boost tourism.

Galloway has been selected as the preferred location for a new Scottish national park and consultation on the move is currently ongoing.

A motion tabled by councillor Dougie Campbell at Dumfries and Galloway Council seeking a referendum was backed by the local authority.

It said there were "competing arguments for and against this designation" which had "divided opinion".

It also calls for a referendum to be held and financed by the Scottish government after the consultation process has concluded.

However, that idea has already been rejected by Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon.

The council gave its backing to the national park bid earlier this year.

One of the protesters outside the council, Tammie Kirk, said many people felt the consultation was not giving people the chance to have their say and a referendum would be fairer.

"When I first heard about this, if I am very honest, my instinct was to want to support it," she said.

"I went to one of the Galloway National Park Association (GNPA) meetings in Kirkcudbright much earlier in the year and they made it sound like this fantastic thing and I thought wow this could be great."

However, after doing her own research she said the reality felt "very, very different".

"House prices definitely escalate a lot, average wages don't increase in comparison so what happens is local people get priced out," she said.

"Businesses then start struggling to get staff because people can't afford to live where they are working.

"For me, although there may be some benefits to becoming a national park, if it prices local people out of the area any benefits become irrelevant because it destroys the community."

Rob Lucas, who chairs the GNPA, said he felt a referendum was not needed.

"I think it seems a strange thing to be asking for while we are in the middle of a consultation which has gone out to 52,000 households," he said.

"The first question in that consultation is would you like a national park - which seems a bit like the referendum question."

He said the association did not feel achieving the status was a foregone conclusion as some opponents seemed to suggest.

"It is far from a done deal - there is a lot of work to do," he said.

"I am pretty certain that this will be a very open and transparent process."

He said it was frustrating that the debate had become heated at times but added that the designation could deliver big benefits.

Speaking during a visit to Dumfries and Galloway to hear concerns about the A75, First Minister John Swinney said his government would listen to all sides of the debate before reaching a final decision.

"There's a consultation under way which will conclude in February," he said.

"I would simply say to people in Galloway, make your voices heard.

"I lead a listening government.

"We just need to hear from people in Galloway. Let's hear it all and the government will weigh that up and come to its conclusions."