Trevor Bates, Wrexham county councillor for Dyffryn Ceiriog, said there were “certainly possible pros” for the proposal.

“We will get more visitors in the area which is what we as a business thrive off,” he said.

“However, as someone who also lives here and has grown up here, I know there are concerns and some cons that people have put forward that also need very close consideration… an influx of traffic, road systems and infrastructure.”

Reform’s Adrian Mason, who represents Clwyd, welcomed Davies’ statement, and said he applauded the recognition “that there remain too many unanswered questions to confirm the designation order or to conduct a public inquiry at the moment”.

Welsh Conservative leader in the Senedd, Darren Millar – who represents the same constituency – said NRW had seemed “to have gone bonkers with the felt-tip pen, drawing a huge area into the new proposed national park”.

“What we’ve really got to do is to make sure that the beauty that we’re all able to enjoy… in a way that is well managed,” he said, and “did not hinder responsible landowners from continuing to be able to manage their land”.

He said if the park was so important to Labour they could have asked for it as a part of its deal on Plaid’s mini-budget.

Rose O’Neill, chief executive of Campaign for National Parks, said the Welsh government had “failed to show the leadership required”, and demonstrated “a telling lack of faith in the power and potential of Welsh national parks from the new government”.

On Radio Wales Breakfast ahead of the announcement, former First Minister Mark Drakeford said not going ahead with the park would be “another blow to the good name of this new government in the environment field”.

“I’m afraid there are already signs that it is not he government that was promised when it comes to protecting the environment,” he said.