First of all, shall I say that we will be supporting this motion? But, if, as it appears, the purpose of the ‘Future Landscapes’ report is to form a basis upon which any new legislation on our national parks will be made, the first question we must therefore ask is: why does the Welsh Government see a need for such legislation? The report seems to imply that the need for new legislation to control what we refer to as national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty is a given fact. The report also implies that many of the boards and interested parties who currently administer or work under the existing regulations are in agreement with this general principle, and that there has been broad agreement with the report’s recommendations by these interested parties.

However, and echoing other contributors to this debate, I’ve received many e-mails from involved organisations and individuals that this does not seem to be the case. One glaring omission pointed out by a number, if not all, of these correspondents is that the report contains no reference to the Sandford principle. This seems particularly remiss given that this principle is regarded as the cornerstone of protection policy for all national parks and AONBs. It also seems to ignore recommendations of the Marsden report, which advised that the protection of our national parks should be extended, not diminished.

The Sandford principle states that where irreconcilable conflicts exist between conservation and public enjoyment then conservation should take priority. This would, of course, also apply to any and all development proposals in our national parks. If any new legislation seeks to put aside this fundamental principle then that legislation should come under the most rigorous scrutiny.

Given the huge potential impact any new legislation would have on national parks and, indeed, on the environment in Wales in general, I believe that there should be no such legislation affecting the core purpose of our national parks until full public consultation has taken place, and further that the Sandford principle should remain the cornerstone of any new legislation affecting the Welsh national parks and AONBs.