Scottish new National Parks - phase 2 - strategic environmental assessment (SEA): SEA reasonable alternatives report

2. Alternatives to assess for the SEA

Introduction: Assessment of reasonable alternatives in SEA

2.1 The assessment of ‘reasonable alternatives’ is a key element of the SEA process to meet the requirements of the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 and should be considered for the current phase of the New National Park proposals.

2.2 The Act is not prescriptive as to what constitutes a reasonable alternative, stating only that the Environmental Report should “identify, describe and evaluate the likely significant effects on the environment of implementing the plan…and reasonable alternatives to the plan… taking into account the objectives and geographical scope of the plan…”. As such, the reasonable alternatives should focus on the key elements currently being discussed relating to the proposals, recognising that the central purpose of SEA is to inform and influence their development process.

Proposed sets of alternatives to assess through the SEA

Reasonable alternatives relating to the spatial extent of the NNP in Galloway

2.3 A key focus for the current phase of the proposals is to seek views on the potential boundaries of a new National Park in Galloway. In this respect an appropriate focus of alternatives is on the spatial extent of the National Park proposal.

2.4 A number of options for National Park boundaries have been proposed in the consultation. These are shown in Figure 2 below.

2.5 In response to this, five alternatives are proposed for assessment through the SEA process (see Figure 3). Specifically:

• SEA Alternative 1: Smaller sized National Park (option 1 on the map).
• SEA Alternative 2: Medium sized National Park (option 1 and 2 on the map).
• SEA Alternative 3: Larger sized National Park (option 1, 2, and 3 on the map).
• SEA Alternative 4: No new National Park; and
• SEA Alternative 5: Larger sized National Park (plus 30km buffer)

2.6 These are described below.

SEA Alternative 1: Smaller sized National Park

2.7 SEA Alternative 1 would incorporate a core inland area of Galloway, including the Galloway Forest Park/Galloway International Dark Sky Park and the Cairnsmore of Fleet National Nature Reserve. It would also include part of the coastline extending east from Wigtown Bay to the East Stewartry Coast, encompassing the Fleet Valley and the coastline around Kirkcudbright.

SEA Alternative 2: Medium sized National Park

2.8 SEA Alternative 2 would cover the area covered by SEA Alternative 1 but would also extend the area to the west to encompass the coastline between Wigtown Bay and Loch Ryan, incorporating the Machars and the Rhins of Galloway up to Loch Ryan. It would also include the area covered by the Nith Estuary NSA in the east.

SEA Alternative 3: Larger scale National Park

2.9 SEA Alternative 3 would encompass all of the areas under potential consideration in Dumfries & Galloway, East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire. In addition to the area considered under SEA Alternative 2, it would incorporate the Ayrshire Coast, the inland area between Stranraer and Galloway Forest Park and areas to the north and east.

SEA Alternative 4: No new National Park

2.10 A fourth alternative to consider would be to not to take forward the proposal to establish a new National Park in Galloway. Whilst the ‘reasonableness’ of the approach is undermined by the Scottish Government’s proposal to create a new National Park for Scotland in the Galloway area; this alternative is useful to provide context for the assessment of the other alternatives. It would also provide an insight to how a new National Park might add value (or otherwise) to the existing designation framework in Galloway, including associated with the Forest Park, National Scenic Areas (NSA) and other environmental designations. In this context, SEA Alternative 4 can be defined as a ‘business as usual’ approach. Specifically, a key consideration will be how would the environmental baseline of Galloway evolve in the absence of a National Park designation?

SEA Alternative 5: Larger sized National Park (plus buffer)

2.11 As part of the formal consultation between November 2024 and February 2025 on whether a new National Park should be established in Galloway and parts of South and East Ayrshire, respondents have the opportunity to put forward alternative boundary suggestions to those proposed.

2.12 SEA Alternatives 5 encompasses all of the areas under potential consideration in SEA Alternative 3, including an additional 30km buffer zone to the north and to the east. The 30km buffer zone incorporates the settlements of Maybole, Ayr, Prestwick, Troon, and Kilmarnock (along the western coast), alongside the following key locations along the A76 trunk road: Dumfries; Thornhill; Sanquhar; New Cumnock; Cumnock; and Mauchline. This reflects the Scottish Government’s understanding of the potential spatial extent of the alternative boundary suggestions which might be proposed within consultation responses.