Move for power shift to 'restore democracy' for parks

Published on Thursday 15 May 2008 22:07

THE Scottish Government is to be urged to remove council powers from Scotland's two national park boards to return "local democracy" to communities within the parks.

A campaign by Angus Macmillan, of Meikle Boturich, near Balloch in Dunbartonshire, has led to a petition being put on the Scottish Parliament website.

Mr Macmillan claims residents within the boundaries of the Cairngorms and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs national parks are discriminated against as they do not have the same level of democracy as elsewhere.

He wants a forthcoming review of parks to alter legislation. Mr Macmillan claims the National Parks Act 2000 removed a substantial part of local democracy "and placed it in the hands of National Park Authority quangos dominated by placemen appointees".

The park boards are currently made up of 25 members. Five are directly elected by voters in the park, ten are nominated by local authorities and ten are appointed by Scottish ministers.

Mr Macmillan said a hypothetical planning application in the Argyll and Bute area of the Loch Lomond park could be decided by two government appointees, one West Dunbartonshire councillor appointee, two Stirling councillor appointees, four members from outwith Argyll and Bute and just one from Argyll and Bute.

To date, 29 people have signed the petition, which is due to go to the petitions committee on 13 June.