Home » Gareth Ratcliffe to continue as National Park Authority chairman 

Gareth Ratcliffe to continue as National Park Authority chairman 

Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority logo

POWYS county councillor Gareth Ratcliffe is set to continue for another year as Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority (BBNPA) chairman.

At the NPA’s annual meeting on Friday, July 3, Cllr Ratcliffe was unanimously returned unopposed to the role.

This will be the third time for Cllr Ratcliffe to be BBNPA chairman.

He will also be joined for another year by independent Welsh Government appointee, Dr Liz Bickerton as BBNPA deputy chairwoman.

Cllr Gareth Ratcliffe (Pic: Powys County Council)

Cllr Ratcliffe said: “Thank you very much members I look forward to working with you very much this year, as you all know we’re going through a period of transition, and your support is really important.

“I appreciate your show of confidence in me.”

The authority then went on to unanimously approve Dr Bickerton’s appointment to the deputy’s role for a second successive year.

Dr Liz Bickerton is a member of the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority (Pic: BBNPA)

They then went on to appoint members to the authority’s various committees and to represent BBNPA on outside bodies.

This included the reappointment of government appointee Steve Rayner as chairman of the Planning committee with Cllr Huw Williams (Powys) to continue as deputy chairman.

The comments made by Cllr Ratcliffe by refer to the imminent appointment of a new chief executive to run the NPA.

Earlier this year it was announced that chief executive Catherine Mealing-Jones would become the  Auditor General for Wales.

Ms Mealing-Jones  is set to take up the role on July 21, succeeding Adrian Crompton, who has served as Auditor General since 2018.

Ms Mealing-Jones took up her role with Bannau Brycheiniog in July 2021, having previously been a director of growth at the UK Space Agency.

At a meeting in May members were told that 39 applications had been received by the NPA for  the role.

Last month and extraordinary authority meeting was held in confidential session to discuss “senior staffing.”

Member who were not on the interview panel were encouraged to attend a meeting with candidates on June 24.

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