Meet the Members-the Decision Makers

Where do the Members come from?

The National Park Authority is composed of 24 members, 16 councillors appointed by the following local authorities who have land in the National Park. These authorities also make a financial contribution to the running of the Park.

Powys	8 members
Monmouthshire	2 members
Carmarthenshire	2 members
Merthyr Tydfil	1 member
Torfaen	1 member
Blaenau Gwent	1 member
Rhondda Cynon Taff	1 member

In addition, the Welsh Government appoints 8 members who may have experience or specialist knowledge of a particular area, such as environment, tourism, farming or community work. They are appointed through a recruitment process, and all vacancies are advertised in the Western Mail and on the Welsh Government website.

Terms of office for local authority members are usually for 4 years, until the next local government elections, and 4 years for Welsh Government appointed members (up to a maximum of three terms). Local authority members just appointed will serve until the next local government elections in 2017.

Who are the members?

Find out about our Members

Downloadable membership list

What do the members do?

The members of the National Park Authority:

Act as advocates of the National Park Authority and its purpose of conserving and enhancing the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the area;
Make decisions and oversee performance through participation in Authority meetings, committees, advisory groups and working groups, applying the principles of National Parks and sustainable development to all decision making;
Represent the interests of all residents of the National Park;
Represent the National Park Authority on outside bodies;
Promote and support open and transparent National Park Authority services;
Promote and support good governance of the National Park Authority and its affairs.

All members are expected to follow codes and protocols to ensure they meet the high standards expected of them. Further details of these codes are available here

You can see all the member role descriptions here

Member Champion role descriptions are here

New Allowance Scheme from 15 June 2012

Schedule of Remuneration

Under the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011 the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales has extended its remit to setting allowances for members of the three Welsh national park authorities. For the Brecon Beacons this took effect from the date of the Annual Meeting – 15^th June 2012, where the Schedule of Remuneration was approved.

Schedule of Member Remuneration 2012-13

Allowances paid to Members

In summary members are entitled to the following allowances:

Basic Salary (all members)	£3550 pa
Senior Salary	Paid inclusive of Basic Salary
· Chairman of NPA	£8875 pa
· Deputy Chairman of NPA	£5920 pa
· Chairman, Planning, Access & Rights of Way Committee	£5920 pa
· Chairman, Audit and Scrutiny Committee	£5920 pa
Travel	45p per mile (plus 5p per mile per passenger)
	24p per mile (motor cycles)
	20p per mile (bicycles)
Subsistence	£28 per day meal allowance
	£150 – London overnight
	£120 – Cardiff overnight
	£95 – elsewhere overnight
	£25 – overnight with friends and family
Care of dependents	Up to £403 per month
Co-opted members of Standards Committee
Chairman	£256 per day (£128 half day)
Ordinary member	£198 per day (£99 half day)

Publication of Allowances paid to Members

The Authority publishes the amounts paid to members each year. Previous years can be viewed below. The payments for 2011-12 will be published by 30 September 2012 with the Annual Accounts.

Allowances paid to members for past financial years can be viewed here: Members Allowances

Members attendance at meetings can be viewed here: Members Attendance 2009/10

Members Attendance 2010/11

Members Attendance 2011/12

Please note that these listings include some former members.

Please contact julia.gruffydd@breconbeacons.org if you would like any more information.

Political map of local authority boundaries

A map which shows the boundaries of the Local Authorities which serve the National Park, and also some statistics which show how much of the National Park the authorities cover.

Back to Members & Committees