Campaigners say 'time has come' for council to pledge support for a Scottish Borders National Park
Last updated 21st Apr 2023
It's feared time's running out if the Borders is to stand a chance of being awarded National Park status.
Campaigners here say they're still awaiting the political support of Scottish Borders Council, while a rival bid in Galloway already has the backing of its local authority.
Spokesperson Malcolm Dickson told last night's meeting of Teviot and Liddesdale Area Partnership: "It hasn't been discussed yet other than SBC agreeing that it should consider the proposal.
"A working group was set up but hasn't been able to do much because the pandemic arrived almost as soon as the first meeting took place. So, undersandly, officers have been extremely busy; so, it's diffificult for them to be able to afford the time to consider our case."
But he added: "The time has come - if we don't get political support from SBC soon, we are going to be viewed by Scottish Government as having a weaker case, because they will want local authority support. They haven't made it mandatory, but I think it would make it very difficult for them to support a proposal for a national park which didn't have the support of its local authority."
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It is nearly 20 years since the first two National Parks were created in Scotland. Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park was established in 2002 and Cairngorms National Park was established in 2003, following the approval of the National Parks (Scotland) Act in 2000.
But the Scottish Government is committed to establishing at least one more by spring 2026 - within the lifetime of this parliament.
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Mr Dickson added: "We commissioned an independent feasibility study in 2017, which confirmed the benefits and we submitted that to SBC and various people. We have been liaising with elected members, and officers, and we are hopeful we are going to get political support."
Scottish Borders Council says it does not currently have a formal position on the subject.
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A spokesperson for the local authority said: "The designation of a certain area of the Scottish Borders as a National Park remains an interesting proposal which could deliver various benefits but also potentially create some challenges.
"Scottish Borders Council does not currently have a formal position regarding the proposal and it is important to note that the designation of National Parks is ultimately a matter for the Scottish Government."
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