Public inquiry required before north-east Wales National Park decision, Welsh Government report confirms
A Welsh Government planning report published on Friday has confirmed that a mandatory public inquiry must be held before any decision can be made on whether to create the proposed Glyndŵr National Park in north-east Wales.
The Future Wales Monitoring and Review Report, published by Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning Rebecca Evans MS, states that several local authorities within the proposed national park area have formally objected to the Designation Order made by Natural Resources Wales in January.
Under the statutory process that governs national park designation in Wales, a formal objection from a statutory consultee, which includes constituent local authorities, means Welsh Ministers are required to hold a Public Local Inquiry before they can confirm, modify or reject the order.
No date has been set for an inquiry.
The Senedd election takes place on 7 May 2026.
The designation was a Welsh Labour manifesto commitment at the 2021 Senedd election and was embedded in the Welsh Government’s 2021-2026 Programme for Government, with ministers aiming to complete the process within the current Senedd term.
The proposed Glyndŵr National Park would cover approximately 927 square kilometres of north-east Wales, based around the existing Clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape and expanded to include additional upland and coastal areas.
The park would sit across parts of Flintshire, Denbighshire, Wrexham and Powys, and includes the Gronant and Talacre dunes on the Flintshire coast.
Natural Resources Wales made the Designation Order on 12 January 2026 following a 12-week statutory consultation that drew 1,678 formal responses, with 53 per cent in favour of the proposal and 31 per cent opposed.
Among residents living within the proposed park boundary, support was lower, at 47 per cent in favour and 35 per cent against.
Wrexham County Borough Council formally objected to the plans in December 2025, with councillors raising concerns about financial burdens on the authority, governance arrangements, pressure on housing, roads and services, and the potential impact on the Welsh language.
Denbighshire County Council formally opposed the proposals in November 2025, with members citing risks from increased tourism on existing infrastructure, restrictions on housing delivery, and the financial pressures facing the council.
Powys County Council also formally objected, highlighting concerns over accessibility, socio-economic impacts, loss of planning income, and effects on Welsh-speaking communities.
Flintshire County Council has raised a series of serious formal concerns about the proposal, including the cost of establishing and running a new national park authority, the lack of clarity over governance and funding arrangements, and the risk of placing greater development pressure on parts of Flintshire outside the park boundary.
Council officers warned that designation would trigger an immediate review of Flintshire’s Local Development Plan, which was adopted in January 2023, the most recently adopted LDP in Wales.
The council has also raised concerns about higher house prices, reduced land available for housing and employment, and additional administrative demands at a time of significant budget pressure.
Flintshire County Council was asked whether it had submitted a formal statutory objection during the notification period.
Environmental and recreation organisations have backed the proposal, arguing that national park status would strengthen protection for the landscape, support nature recovery, manage visitor pressures more effectively and bring long-term economic benefits to local communities.
NRW chair Neil Sachdev said when the Designation Order was made that all representations, including objections, would be submitted to Welsh Government to assist with the final decision.
The Future Wales report states that the outcome of the inquiry process may have spatial implications that would need to be considered as part of any future revision of the national planning framework.
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