PROPOSALS to re-brand part of the Wye Valley have been labelled “barmy” by local Assembly Member Nick Ramsay.

Wales’s Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) could be re-named ’National Landscapes of Wales’, under proposals now being considered by the Welsh Government.

The recommendation has been made in the first stage of a review of how best to preserve and promote our National Parks and AONBs in the future.

The potential re-brand would bring the guidelines of AONB in line with the aims of National Parks, focussing on promoting physical and mental wellbeing, while conserving and maintaining areas of natural beauty in a sustainable way.

AONBs were created by the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act in 1949, and the review panel proposing the changes believe that “the economic, social and environmental context has changed over the decades since the original Act”.

But AM Ramsay believes that the changes, particularly concerning the name, would be detrimental for the Wye Valley, which has been classified as an AONB since 1971.

“This ludicrous proposal is bad enough for all Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Wales but it would be particularly damaging for the Wye Valley and Monmouthshire”, he said.

“As we know, the Wye Valley straddles the Welsh and English border so any re-branding could see half the Wye Valley re-named a National Landscape of Wales whilst the other half would remain as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

“This is clearly barmy, and would do nothing to attract more tourists to the area. In fact it could have the opposite effect by confusing lovers of AONBs across the rest of the UK, and indeed the world, as to what the Wye Valley has to offer.

“It’s time the Welsh Government stopped meddling with things that currently work and had a go at getting to grips with the very real problems that affect people in their day to day lives in Wales.”

But he was willing to concede that there is room for improvement in the current system.

“Things change organically over time, and I’m all for ways of looking to improve the current system”, he said.

“I feel that the Welsh Government are going about it the wrong way, and feel that the name change would provide no real benefit.”