| Allan Wilson:
I am pleased
and not a little proud to commend to Parliament, on behalf of the Executive,
the draft Cairngorms National Park Designation, Transitional and Consequential
Provisions (Scotland) Order 2003 and the draft Cairngorms National Park
Elections (Scotland) Order 2003.
As members know,
the designation order, which is the basis for the establishment of Scotland's
second national park, has been the subject of extensive consultation in
the past two years. During that time, there have been exhaustive discussions
on all the details of the park, particularly on the boundary and the involvement
of the national park authority in planning matters. As we have heard, parliamentary
committees considered the matters in detail and took evidence from a wide
variety of witnesses. As a result of that and of further discussion in
the Executive, we have produced the orders that are before members today.
I will remind
members of the conditions that had to be satisfied—which Parliament laid
down—before we established the exact content of the designation order.
The area had to be of outstanding national importance either because of
its natural heritage or because of a combination of natural and cultural
heritage. The area had to have a distinctive character and a coherent identity
and the designation of the area as a national park had to meet the area's
special needs and be the best means of ensuring that the national park
aims were achieved in a co-ordinated way. The national park aims refer
to conservation, sustainable use, understanding and enjoyment of the area
and the sustainable economic and social development of all the communities
that are involved.
It was never
going to be easy to balance those conditions and aims. Nevertheless, we
have achieved a balance through which, in my view, the biggest national
park in Great Britain will be capable of being managed in a co-ordinated
and sustainable way by a national park authority that will exercise its
significant planning functions in full co-operation with the four local
authorities in the area. I realise that some members are disappointed that
certain areas have not been included within the national park, just as
other members were disappointed about areas that were not included in the
Loch Lomond and the Trossachs national park. Nevertheless, although we
started from a point at which there was no consensus about what the national
park should look like—indeed, there was outright opposition from some people
who did not want to be included in the park—we have reached a point at
which all those with an interest can welcome the park's establishment and
work together positively to make it a success.
Further delay
in the production of finalised proposals would not necessarily lead to
a greater degree of consensus and would be a serious risk to the momentum
for the establishment of the park. If we pass the designation order, as
I believe we should, we will fulfil Donald Dewar's desire for and vision
of a second national park in Scotland. I commend the designation order
to Parliament.
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