Key Points
- There are worries that the Welsh Government may pull out of a scheduled public inquiry into the establishment of a new Glyndŵr National Park.
- A statement regarding what will happen next is expected at the Senedd on Tuesday, 13 October, says BBC Cymru Fyw.
- The Campaign for National Parks has called on the government to allow the inquiry to be held before making the decision.
- Critics are concerned over issues like property prices, planning regulations, financing, local facilities, and the Welsh language.
- The proposal was supported by Natural Resources Wales in January 2026, but all five affected councils were opposed.
- The proposal will form the fourth national park in Wales and is based in the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley area.
Wales (Wales Times) October 12, 2026 — Campaigners say the future of the proposed Glyndŵr National Park is uncertain ahead of a Welsh Government statement on the next steps, expected in the Senedd on Tuesday, 13 October. The Campaign for National Parks has expressed concern that ministers may cancel a public inquiry into the proposal, which would cover parts of north-east Wales and make it the country’s fourth national park.
The BBC reported that the inquiry was announced by the previous Labour government in March, after local authorities raised concerns about funding and planning arrangements. The Welsh Government declined to comment ahead of Tuesday’s statement, BBC Cymru Fyw reported.
Gareth Ludkin of the Campaign for National Parks told BBC Radio Wales’s Sunday Supplement that his organisation did not know what the announcement would say, but feared the government was preparing to cancel the inquiry. He called on ministers to allow the inquiry to proceed, saying the government could make its decision afterwards and that the case should be considered on the basis of all the available evidence.
The proposal has been contested by local authorities and residents, even as Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has backed the designation order. The planned park would be centred on the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley, with the proposed area crossing several local authority boundaries.
Why are campaigners worried about cancellation?
The inquiry is intended to examine representations and objections to the proposed designation. In March, the Welsh Government said it would appoint Planning and Environment Decisions Wales to conduct a public local inquiry, following formal objections from councils affected by the proposed boundary. Under the process described by the government, an inspector would consider the arguments and make a recommendation to ministers.
Ludkin’s concern, as reported by BBC Cymru Fyw, is that ending the inquiry before it takes place would prevent that full examination. He said the Campaign for National Parks wanted the inquiry to go ahead, while leaving the final decision to the government after the evidence had been considered.
The change in government has added uncertainty. BBC Cymru Fyw reported that Plaid Cymru inherited responsibility for the inquiry after winning the Senedd election in May. The statement due on Tuesday is to be delivered by Cabinet Minister Dafydd Trystan Davies, rather than the minister responsible for national parks, Llŷr Gruffydd.
The proposal originated under the previous Labour-led Welsh Government and was included in Labour’s 2021 manifesto as a commitment to create a fourth national park in Wales. The latest announcement may clarify whether the new administration will continue with the inquiry process. The BBC report, however, does not state what the government intends to announce.
What are the objections to the park?
Sarah Lewis, a farmer from Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant in Powys, opposes the proposal. She told BBC Cymru Fyw that she feared a park could push up house prices and make it harder for young people to buy homes in their own communities. She warned that if they had to move elsewhere to find affordable housing, rural communities and the Welsh language could be affected.
Those concerns echo objections described in the BBC’s March report on the public inquiry. Councils and other critics raised questions about funding, planning, local services, infrastructure, tourism pressures and the possible effect on house prices and the Welsh language.
In that earlier report, Powys Council said it feared the designation could add pressure to rural communities without delivering tangible benefits. uk/local/wrexham/">Wrexham Council warned that increased visitor numbers could affect demand for local services and public-sector budgets. Gwynedd Council cited a lack of clarity over Welsh-language impacts, planning services and costs.
Local-authority objections have been significant in the process. BBC Cymru Fyw reported that all five councils affected by the proposed boundary had expressed reservations, with several lodging formal objections.
What do supporters say the park could deliver?
Supporters argue that national park status could help protect the area’s landscape and wildlife, improve how visitor pressures are managed and encourage sustainable land management. These claims featured in the BBC’s March coverage of the proposal, which reported contrasting views from campaigners, farmers and local representatives.
Naturalist and photographer Will Hawkes, who lives in the Ceiriog Valley, described the area as ecologically important. In the BBC’s earlier report, he said that he had recorded 18 of the UK’s 24 bumblebee species in the area. He argued that a national park could support coordinated action on biodiversity and protect the landscape from development pressures.
Hawkes also said that designation could bring funding for managing tourism and grants to help farmers manage land sustainably. He argued it could raise the profile of Welsh language and culture. These are his views as reported by the BBC, rather than confirmed outcomes of the proposal.
Ludkin also welcomed the public inquiry when it was announced in March, describing it as a way to have a rounded discussion about the case for designation. The Campaign for National Parks’ current position, as reported by BBC Cymru Fyw, is that the inquiry should be allowed to run its course.
What happens next?
The immediate milestone is the Welsh Government statement expected in the Senedd on Tuesday, 13 October. BBC Cymru Fyw said the announcement is expected to address the next steps for creating the proposed park, but the government had not commented in advance and the report did not confirm whether the inquiry would be retained or cancelled.
NRW conducted a formal process from 2022 to 2025 to assess whether the area met the criteria for national park status. In January 2026, its board voted to support the proposal and issued a designation order for Glyndŵr National Park, named after Owain Glyndŵr.
That endorsement did not settle the matter. The objections from affected councils led the previous Welsh Government to announce a public inquiry in March. The final decision rests with ministers, following the relevant process and consideration of the case.
