Freedom of Information Request - Results of Galloway National Park Consultation
Date: 18 March 2025
Our ref: SIR179503/A5047615
Information Request – Results of Galloway National Park Consultation
Your Request
I would like to know when the results of the consultation for a National Park in Galloway will be available? I would also like sight of the figures for those for and against.
Our Response
As Reporter for the proposed new National Park, we were originally due to provide our advice to Scottish Government at the end of April 2025. We have now agreed with officials, given the extended period of the consultation, that we will report in the week beginning 05 May 2025. We will be updating our website with this information shortly. The advice will be accompanied by reports on the responses to the consultation.
As the report is still under development, including undertaking quality assurance of any associated figures, we are withholding this under EIR exemption Regulation 12(4)(d) - Material in the course of completion, unfinished documents, and incomplete data (Environmental Information Regulations).
The advice and consultation reports will be published and laid before the Scottish Parliament in due course once Ministers have had the opportunity to consider them. Further information is available from the National Park website.
How We Handled Your Request
We believe you have asked for environmental information as defined in the Environmental Information (Scotland Regulations 2004 (‘the EIRs’), so we are dealing with your request under those regulations. To be able to use the EIRs, we must apply an exemption under section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (‘FOISA’). The Scottish Information Commissioner’s guidance recommends that public authorities apply this exemption to environmental information and handle request under the EIRs.
If you would like to find out more about the access to information legislation, there is a guidance booklet available on the Scottish Information Commissioner’s website.
Review and Appeal
I hope this information meets your requirements, but if you are dissatisfied with how we have responded to your information request, please write to us within 40 working days explaining your concerns. You can contact us at Battleby, Redgorton, Perth, PH1 3EW or email us at [email protected]. We will carry out a review of our response and contact you with our findings within 20 working days.
If you are not satisfied following this, you can make an appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner within 6 months. The Scottish Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
Scottish Information Commissioner
Kinburn Castle
Doubledykes Road
St Andrews
Fife
KY16 9DS
Telephone: 01334 464610
Yours sincerely
FOI Officer,
NatureScot
