Glyndŵr National Park () is a proposed national park which, if approved, will be located in the north-east of Wales. The park is intended to replace the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), and expand the area of protected landscape. The proposed name is taken from Owain Glyndŵr, who was from north-east Wales and the last native Welsh person to claim the title Prince of Wales.
The 1947 Hobhouse Report suggested that the Clwydian and Berwyn ranges of hills should be protected, but it was not until 1985 that the Clwydian Range AONB was established. The possibility of making the range a national park was debated by the Welsh Assembly (now the Senedd) in 2010, but did not progress further. In 2011, the AONB was extended to include the Dee Valley, which includes the northernmost part of the Berwyn range.
The proposal was revived in 2021, when Welsh Labour committed to designating a new national park to cover the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley. Following the party's victory in that year's Senedd election, the Welsh Government commissioned Natural Resources Wales (NRW) to develop proposals for the national park, and research and consultations took place between 2023 and 2025. These have resulted in a proposal to expand the protected area north to include the Gronant and Talacre dunes, south to include the majority of the Berwyn range and Dyfnant Forest, and west to include the area around Llanelidan. The total area of the proposed park is ; the AONB has an area of .
The creation of the national park is supported by Natural Resources Wales; the body organised a consultation in 2025 in which 53 per cent of responses supported the proposal, 14 per cent conditionally supported it, and 31 per cent were opposed. Labour and Conservative members of the Senedd have expressed support, as has the Campaign for National Parks, which issued a joint statement supported by bodies including the National Trust, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Cymru, and the World Wide Fund for Nature. The plans have been opposed by councillors from Denbighshire County Council, Flintshire County Council, Powys County Council, and Wrexham County Borough Council, and a public inquiry is now planned to be held regarding the decision.
History
Background The 1947 Hobhouse Report, the precursor to the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949, recommended establishing conservation areas to cover the Clwydian and Berwyn ranges of hills, however this was not done.
The Clwydian Range was eventually designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1985 by the Secretary of State for Wales, Nicholas Edwards, under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949. It originally covered , and its southern boundary was set to be much further north than originally proposed in 1947. Reasons for this decision remain unclear, although it has been said that it was chosen to mark the border between the Clwydian Range and the uplands sometimes regarded to be part of the Berwyn Range. This was due to local opposition to designations for the Berwyn Range, such as the Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) which was proposed during the AONB's consultation period. This potentially influenced the decision to exclude the Berwyn Range, and therefore the Dee Valley, from becoming part of the AONB in 1985.
On 22 November 2011, the AONB was to be extended southwards to include the Dee Valley, increasing the size of the AONB by . The Ceiriog Valley was not added to the AONB, due to the valley's physical relationship with the Berwyn mountain range which crosses the local authority border into Powys, where an extension of the AONB is not supported. An artificial cut-off point of the AONB at the WrexhamPowys border was deemed illogical, so the southernmost boundary of the AONB was defined as the skyline of the Dee Valley (the southern summits of the highest peaks in the valley) instead.
Initial 2010 calls The campaign to make the then Clwydian Range AONB, a national park began in 2010, on the 25th anniversary of AONB status. Conservative AM for Clwyd West, Darren Millar called for National Park status, describing the area as a "national treasure" needing extra recognition for its unique biodiversity and archaeology, which would boost the local economy. On 16 February 2011, in an Assembly debate, Jane Davidson AM, then Environment, Sustainability and Housing Minister for Wales, dismissed the proposal, stating that if it were to follow through, it would have to be applied to all other AONBs in Wales and that the area already benefits from tourism support. Criticism to the proposal followed at the time, touted as "out of touch" with the wishes of the rural community, potentially limiting rural business opportunities and taking power away from local authorities.
Announcement of 2020s proposals In their manifesto for the 2021 Senedd election, Welsh Labour and First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford, pledged to establish a new national park in Wales. If followed through, the newly designated area would become Wales' fourth national park and the first one since 1957. Upon their re-election, the new administration stated that they were in the process of fulfilling this pledge, although no dates were given, however, they stated that announcements would be made in "due course", and that the redesignation is a "multi-year" project. In its 2021–2026 Programme for Government, the Welsh Government committed itself to designate a new national park in north-east Wales.
In June 2023, the Welsh Government commissioned Natural Resources Wales (NRW) to investigate a potential designation of the area as a national park, involving data and evidence gathering and meeting with local communities, with a decision expected by 2026. While the proposed national park is centred on the AONB, the boundaries of the national park may not be the same as the current AONB, with the exact boundaries being under discussion. From October to November 2023, NRW held seven engagement events (including one online), as part of its engagement period from 9 October 2023 to 27 November 2023. The consultation process is funded by the Welsh Government at a cost of £700,000 annually. The government hopes to make a decision before the 2026 Senedd election. NRW announced they hope to hold two further consultations in autumn 2024 and 2025, as the boundaries of the park become more refined.
In February 2024, it was announced that NRW was looking for consultants to carry out an in-depth assessment of the proposed areas for inclusion.
Debate There is a mix of support and opposition to the proposals, with various concerns and praises raised for the proposals.
Issues Tourism and economy – Supporters claim that national park status would bring more potential to the area, as many tourists from nearby densely populated areas of Cheshire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester and elsewhere in North West England, constantly pass through the AONB to Snowdonia (Eryri), the other national park in north Wales, and a national park would "put North East Wales on the map", while also catering to those wanting a countryside rather than coastal visit. Supporters estimate the re-designation would bring in 1.5 million visitors annually, boosting the local economy, providing more opportunities for locals and is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. A member of the Dee Valley Environmental Network claimed that the park would increase tourism in the area which has "stagnated" recently, while it would also ease the burden of overcrowding during peak times in Snowdonia (Eryri). Funding and management – Concerns were raised that a fourth national park in Wales would reduce the funding to the existing three. In October 2023, the Welsh Government stated it was too early to discuss the national park's possible functions and funding. The current national parks receive 75% of their funding from the Welsh Government, ranging from £3–4 million annually. A council levy also contributes over £1 million to the existing parks, although the Welsh Government pays back money to the councils. In late 2024, in response to concerns over funding, supporters argued that when the UK's first national parks were devised, the national debt was 270% of UK GDP and the UK was recovering following the Second World War. In November 2024, The Guardian reported that costs of the national park to Powys County Council, in which the council was expected to contribute 25% of the park's budget, would have led to £50.9 million of cuts needed over four years by the council. In September 2025, the Welsh Government committed that funding to the existing three national parks and the local councils would not have an impact on their finances. Natural Resources Wales argued the new designation would actually provide more money in comparison to the existing designation of Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Concerns were also raised that the new status would lead to the increased presence of the Welsh Government in the management of the area (over the local authorities) as the new status involves new funding from the government to the area. Environment – Proponents for the redesignation argue that it would hand over greater environmental and planning protections to the area. It has also been claimed that a national park would help efforts to combat runaway climate change. A local councillor claimed that redesignation may increase the risk of mountain fires (such as the 2018 Llantysilio Mountain fire), through cutting back hill farming (such as sheep grazing), leading to an increase in unmanaged vegetation. Size and proximity – Opponents initially criticised the size of the AONB itself as being too small for a national park. If redesignated alone, it would be the smallest national park in Wales at compared to the current smallest in Wales, Pembrokeshire Coast at . In September 2025, the proposed area was stated to be , although earlier 2023 proposals were slightly larger. Therefore, the new park would be larger than the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. It was also claimed that the proximity to the English border would lead to shorter day-trips rather than longer overnight stays. There were also concerns on the potential overuse of "national park," fearing it will dilute the attractiveness of existing ones. Previous commitments and transparency – The proposal has been described as a "betrayal" by an FUW local officer, stating that the earlier plan to expand the AONB to the Dee Valley was followed through despite a majority of the union opposing the plan, and opposition from rural businesses. It has been claimed that a last-minute compromise was promised that "the area would not become a national park". The Welsh Government was criticised in October 2021, when it was revealed that no consultations had taken place between farmers and the Welsh Government concerning the proposal.