In an Annual General Meeting held earlier this morning, Cllr Eric Saxon from Monmouthshire County Council was elected as the new Chairman for Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority. Cllr Saxon succeeds Mrs Mary Taylor – the Park’s longest serving Chairman – who steps down from the National Park Authority officially on 31st August 2010 after 13 years of dedicated service. Mrs Julie James, a Welsh Assembly Government appointed Member has been elected as Deputy Chairman for the Park Authority.
Cllr Saxon is well known in the county of Monmouthshire, where he has been a County Councillor for the last 6 years and a Community Councillor for the last 14 years. He brings a wealth of experience in areas such as business, the environment and public service governance and excellence.
On his appointment as Chairman, Cllr Saxon said: “Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority has made significant progress under the valued leadership of Mrs Mary Taylor, but we cannot afford to be complacent – we still have much work to do. I do not want this Authority to be either a Member led or an Officer led organisation. Good governance and effective leadership depends on mutual trust and respect, co-operation and partnership. We must continue to work together to strengthen the mutual trust and respect I have seen develop since my time here. I am very honoured to be elected as Chairman and I am ambitious for the National Park and keen that the improvements we have achieved so far should be a foundation for further improvements. Above all, I have a deep belief in National Parks and I will strive to ensure that I can guide, support and lead the National Park Authority’s positive work in conservation and in our local communities.”
John Cook, Chief Executive for Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority said: “I would like to extend a warm welcome to Cllr Eric Saxon as our new Chairman and Mrs Julie James as Deputy. The Officers of this Authority look forward to working with them both and all of our Members over the next year.
“I would like to say a sincere and heartfelt thank you to Mrs Mary Taylor, our outgoing Chairman, who has made such a significant contribution to Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority during her leadership. She will be sadly missed when her term ends in August but we wish her all the very best for the future.”
Cllr Mrs Kathryn Silk from Powys County Council was re-elected as the Chairman of Planning, Access and Rights of Way (PAROW), and Cllr Huw Morgan from Carmarthenshire County Council was elected as Deputy Chairman of PAROW.
The Audit and Scrutiny Committee will be chaired by Mr Richard Stow, a Welsh Assembly Government appointed Member, with Deputy Chairman Cllr Krishn Pathak from Powys County Council.
For further information on changes to the committee structure and membership, please visit Members/Committees