IT WOULD be a ‘disaster’ to reduce local representation on the board of the Yorkshire Dales National Park says the authority’s chairman Carl Lis.

Mr Lis, who also represents the Ingleton and Clapham ward on Craven District Council, is backing a recommendation from the park authority’s audit and review committee which opposes changes proposed in the Government commissioned ‘Landscapes Review’ carried out by Julian Glover.

It is ‘vital’ says Mr Lis that the national park is able to convince the Government that it can run a more efficient and cost effective authority while at the same time retaining strong local input.

The park authority’s audit and review committee has accepted and supported the Glover review’s recommendation for an overall reduction in the number of members on the board, but is recommending that the level of local representation be maintained.

The recommendations will now go to the full meeting of the authority, due to take place on March 31.

Mr Lis said: “The landscapes review concluded that the constitution and operation of National Park Authority Boards was poor; they were too large, lacked diversity and lacked people who emphasised the purpose of conserving nature and connecting people with national parks.

“The review has proposed that national park boards are made smaller - nine to 12 members - and are made up entirely of members appointed directly by Government - removing all local representation. I think that would be a disaster. “

He added: “Before the Government commissioned the landscapes review, we were already examining the issue because we recognised that the board was too large and the current arrangements were unfair and unbalanced following the extension of the national park boundary in 2016.”

The audit and review committee has recommended a cut in the size of the board from 25 to 16 members.

Mr Lis said: “It is also recommending that the level of local representation is maintained, and even strengthened, with greater sway given to members appointed from local parish councils.

“ 12 of the 16 members will be appointed to represent the 23,000 people who live in the park. These will come from the county, district and parish councils, and I back that approach.”

He added:“It’s vital now that we can demonstrate very clearly to Government that there is a way to retain strong local input but still run a national park authority in a more efficient and cost-effective way for taxpayers.”

In his report to the committee, David Butterworth, the authority’s chief executive, described the task of reviewing future membership of the authority board as ‘extremely difficult and sensitive’ . He added that there was a need to complete the ‘unfinished business’ in addressing the shortcomings in membership that arose as a result of the 2016 changes in the national park boundary.

His report says: “ In addition we do need to take account of the recommendations on governance contained in the Glover Review. However there is a strong view from the working group (of the audit and review committee) that whilst we need to acknowledge the ‘direction of travel’ in Glover’s proposals, it remains important to retain the local/national split on the authority board.

“The proposal means there would be 12 local members and four national members making up the board of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority. The working group considered this to be the best way forward in delivering governance proposals that are fit for the 21st century and can best support delivery of the national park’s purposes and objectives into the future.”

Also discussed was direct elections to the park authority which Mr Butterworth said remained ‘an option’ although it would require a change to primary legislation by the Government.