Plans to create a new national park in Wales have been shelved by the Welsh Government.

During a plenary session in Cardiff Bay on Tuesday, Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness and the Constitution, Dafydd Trystan Davies MS, said he had come to the provisional decision not to proceed with plans for a Glyndŵr National Park.

He said: “I am currently minded not to confirm the designation Order and consequently, minded not to proceed with a public local inquiry at this stage.

“Not confirming the designation Order and not proceeding with a public local inquiry will mean that no new national park is established at this time.

“I do want to be clear with Members that this is not a final decision. Before reaching a final decision, I intend to provide a short opportunity for everyone with an interest in this proposal to make further representations in respect of the provisional view that I have reached.”

He added that it would cost in excess of £11 million to set up the national park that on the southern end would have stretched as far as Mallwyd.

Reacting to the decision to shelve the plans, Rose O’Neill, Chief Executive of Campaign for National Parks said: “Welsh Government has failed to show the leadership required to put National Parks at the heart of nature, the climate and their rural resilience agenda with today’s decision.

She said: “The failure to back a public local inquiry at this time is a bitterly disappointing retreat from Wales’s National Park ambitions which demonstrates a telling lack of faith in the power and potential of Welsh National Parks from the new Government.

“We have requested meetings with Welsh Government to share the feeling of local community members and we will take every opportunity through the next four weeks to make the case for designation.

“Plaid Cymru have promised the “protection and restoration of nature-rich landscapes” and greater rural resilience, but this is no sign that they intend to do that.

“We strongly believe that the Glyndŵr National Park could have been an exemplar for the UK, delivering more for nature, rural communities and future generations, and it was encouraging to see that the area met the criteria for designation, and that 67% of those consulted were in support of the proposal.”