Rhona Brankin, the Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development, launched for consultation the draft designation order for Scotland’s first National Park on 11th June 2001.

The Minister said:

The draft designation order is a major step forward in fulfilling our commitment to introduce National Parks for Scotland. With your help, we have made a lot of progress towards this goal. This consultation will lead us on the final stretch to formally bring the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park into existence in April 2002.

The draft designation order sets out the boundary of the National Park, the membership structure of the National Park Authority and the planning powers it will possess. It reflects the conclusions drawn from extensive consultation by Scottish Natural Heritage over the winter. In considering the details such as boundaries and membership, I urge everyone to keep in sight the bigger picture. To remember why we have worked together to reach this stage.

Scotland has an unsurpassed natural and cultural heritage. We are determined to maintain and enhance that for all to enjoy and to open up the opportunities which our heritage brings. National Parks are models of sustainable rural development – retaining and nurturing the qualities of an area whilst making them the basis for social and economic development. Scotland’s national parks will be unique to Scotland. Unlike other parks the social and economic aims are equally important to the aims of conservation, recreation and the sustainable use of resources.

National Parks are about people as well as the land, about creating thriving communities and linking the opportunities for tourism, landscape protection, recreation and farming. This integrated approach underpins our thinking behind National Parks and relies on thorough consultation to ensure we strike the right balance.

Scottish Ministers have broadly accepted the conclusions of the reporter that in addition to the core area the Argyll Forest Park, the Lake of Menteith, Ben Vorlich, Glen Ogle and Loch Earn – with the boundary drawn along the north edge of Loch Earn – should be included. The west end of Glen Dochart, as well as the communities of Tyndrum and Crianlarich, have also been included.

There will be 25 members of the National Park Authority (NPA). Five members will be directly elected, there will be ten local authority nominees and a further ten appointed by Scottish Ministers. The suggested split of the ten local authority nominees is; Stirling four, Argyll & Bute three, West Dunbartonshire two, and Perth & Kinross one. The NPA will have responsibility for the preparation of the local plan, development control and associated functions. Local authorities will maintain responsibility for structure planning and consult the NPA on their preparation.

Consultation into the draft designation order will last for 15 weeks. A series of public ‘drop in’ surgeries will take place at the following locations between 9am and 9pm:

• Callander, The Kirk Hall (room three), 7 August;
• Crianlarich, The Village Hall, 8 August;
• Arrochar, The Cobbler Hotel, 9 August;
• Port of Menteith, The Village Hall, 13 August;
• Balloch, Lomond Park Hotel, 14 August;
• Dunoon, The Queens Hall, 15 August;
• Killin, The McLaren Hall, 20 August;
• Lochearnhead, The Community Hall, 21 August.

Copies of the draft designation order are available from the Scottish Executive website: www.scotland.gov.uk Alternatively contact Alan Marshall, National Parks Team, CANH, Area 1J, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh, EH6 6QQ.

MCofS response to original consultation