Pro-Galloway National Park group 'disappointed' with survey results
Just under 2,000 people participated in the study
A recent survey carried out by a Scottish farmer union has sparked concerns with the Galloway National Park Association (GNPA).
Results from the 7-month open survey show that almost three-quarters of the 2-thousand people are opposing plans for the park.
The pro-group are maintaining NFU Scotland encouraged members to vote against the proposal.
NFU Dumfries and Galloway Regional Chair Stewart Wyllie says otherwise:
“Looking into the figures, only 28% of respondents were NFUS members of which only 33% of the total would classify themselves as farmers so this is the countryside, the rural vote, showing where they stand.”
The GNPA says they were also ‘disappointed’ with the timing of the survey and should have been conducted once NatureScot had begun the public engagements.
Trustee of the group Gordon Mann says: “We think the best time to do that is once people have listened and read all the information that will become available as part of this engagement process that NatureScot is undertaking.
“It’s been carried out with a lack of information. We’re very keen that people should make an informed decision about what a national park would mean for Galloway, and we tried to persuade them to put out information to farmers about what a park would mean but they didn’t do that.”
Regional Chair Wyllie says this is all part of a process:
“With regards to the timing of the survey, as a membership organisation, we had to find out what our membership thought and what the wider community - who we have a responsibility to support - found or what they thought.
“So, therefore, we had to carry out an initial survey to get a feel. We have done that, and it’s given us a very strong mandate and a very strong anti-national viewpoint from the rural community.
“We will now carry out a second survey once we have a situation where we have a little more meat on the bones.”
He adds that the feedback will be shared with the public and NatureScot who are working closely with the Scottish Government as the reporter for this proposal.