A public consultation has been announced over plans for a new national park in Wales.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) said the 10-week consultation period will begin on October 7 and end on December 16.

The Welsh Government has asked NRW to assess the evidence and case for a new national park and make a recommendation.

Based on the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley 'National Landscape', a study area was identified and shared during a public engagement period last year.

Following this, and a period of evidence gathering, NRW will now be consulting the public on the emerging proposal throughout the autumn and winter months.

The public consultation events will be an opportunity to learn more about the project and evidence gathered to date, ask questions of the team, and share feedback on the draft boundary map referred to as the Candidate Area Map.

Ash Pearce, programme manager in NRW’s designated landscapes programme team, said: "While we have a statutory procedure to follow, we want to ensure that this is an inclusive process and that people have the opportunity to share their views on the proposals.

"Early engagement has given us a much clearer picture of the issues, hopes, and concerns of the local people and stakeholders.

"We have identified eleven themes that underline both risks and opportunities for the area.

"These reflect concerns about over-tourism and the impact on housing, but also the hopes for better management, responsible access, conservation, and nature’s recovery.

"If a new national park is established, then it must be able to manage the risks and take advantage of the opportunities available, for the betterment of nature, people, and communities."

Mr Pearce added: "We have amended the study area in response to local feedback and in the past year, appointed three separate independent consultants to help us develop the evidence that will inform our recommendation.

"As a result of this work, we now have a Candidate Area map that we want to share with the public.

"We encourage anyone interested to attend one of the events listed below and complete our questionnaire after viewing the summary of the evidence."

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People are encouraged to either drop by at an in-person event or email the project team at designated.landscapes.programme@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk to sign up for an online event.

People will only need to attend one event as the information shared will be the same for each.

The public drop-in events will be held on October 10 at Parkfields Community Centre in Mold, October 16 at Ceiriog Centre in Llangollen, October 21 at Llanrhaeadr Village Hall, October 26 at Loggerheads Country Park in Mold, November 8 at Wrexham Memorial Hall, November 16 at Public Institute Committee in Llanfyllin, November 30 at Kings Hall Community Centre in Prestatyn, December 3 at Cowshacc Centre in Welshpool, December 4 at Canolfan Ni in Corwen, and December 10 at Llangollen Town Hall.

Public online events will be held on October 14, November 12, and December 12.

Targeted group events will also be held for elected members, recreation and access groups, environment and heritage groups, the renewable energy sector, the agricultural sector and landowners, utilities, and businesses and tourism.

To find out more, visit the project website.

All consultation resources will be available via the project website from October 7.