Beneath the rolling green hills of Galloway in Scotland, a hot-tempered dispute is simmering that has turned neighbours into enemies and become “more divisive than the referendum vote”. Galloway was earmarked as the preferred site for the UK’s newest national park last year, immediately provoking fears that its designation would be a gateway for mass tourism and an increase of litter and detritus in the remote area.
Liz Hitschmann, 73, one of the leading voices of the No Galloway National Park (NGNP) group, said she and co-organiser Denise Brownlee were blown over by the degree of local opposition to the plans – with over £2,000 fundraised after just one campaign meeting. Yet while around 500 people joined NGNP’s Facebook page within days of it being set up, the pair have faced intense backlash for their views, with the strength of feeling sowing division throughout the community. “Both Denise and I have lost friends over this,” she told the Express. “Denise more than me – people she had known for over 20 years.”
The 73-year-old has been “compared to Donald Trump” by incensed neighbours, she says, and Denise told The Guardian that the dispute has become “more divisive than the Scottish referendum vote”.
The NGNP is largely focused on the environmental impact of the proposals – Park ranger Denise has already found “a two-man tent used as a human litter tray” left by careless visitors – but its wide publicity efforts have sparked accusations of bankrolling, with those in favour of the new national park alleging that the pressure group is funded by wealthy landowners.
It’s a claim that Liz vehemently denies, describing the group as a “grassroots” effort, and the Galloway National Park Association (GNPA) has also been accused of their fair share of underhand tactics, including tearing down NGNP signs and posters. The vitriol between once-friendly residents has even descended into public shouting matches, one of which reportedly sparked police intervention.
It’s not yet clear whether the national park plans will ever reach actuality, with a lengthy process of consultation, reports and drafting legislation ahead – one that will no doubt be complicated by the degree of local backlash.
Robert Lucas, chair of the GNPA, is still holding out hope, however. “The idea of a national park came from the Galloway community over seven years ago,” he said. “The GNPA was created to take the idea forward, and we were delighted when the minister proposed Galloway for designation.
He added: “After the first stage of the official consultation, we hope to progress to the next stage, when there will be more information to help answer the questions people have.”
