Having no requests from residents to participate in meetings of Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority (BBNPA) is not as positive as it might seem, a senior Powys councillor has said.

One of the standing items on agendas of BBNPA meetings is around public speaking.

This gives national park residents an opportunity to ask members questions or air their views to the authority – but the offer is rarely taken up.

At a meeting on Friday, September 26, BBNPA Chairman Cllr Gareth Ratcliffe (Powys) told members that “no requests” had been made to speak at the meeting this time around.

He went on explain to people who were watching the meeting that they have a right to address the committee.

Cllr Ratcliffe said that people could look through the meeting agendas when they are published to see if they have any points to make on the issues at hand.

The protocol, which explains how public speaking is conducted at meetings, is available for people to read on the BBNPA website, he explained.

Cllr Ratcliffe said: “I encourage any member of the public who wishes to speak to please come forward.”

Cllr William Powell (Powys) said: “Just taking this one step further. Given the absence of any requests to speak to BBNPA for most of this council term, I just wonder if it would be worth flagging it up.

“Not just to the limited audience we have today but to the wider public, to encourage them to protectively engage more with us, it probably would not be a bad thing.”

He believed that some form of communication such as a press release or social media postings could be discussed with the “comms” department so that the opportunity of speaking at meetings is better known.

Cllr Powell, who this year is Chairman of Powys County Council, believed this would be a “sensible way forward” as the lack of public speakers is brought up at “almost every” meeting they have.

Cllr Powell said: “When we say no requests received, it’s not necessarily always as positive as it might seem.

“I think it would be a good thing if we were more on the front foot on this regard, it would shine a light and raise the profile of our business.”

Cllr Ratcliffe agreed and said it is “something we can look at.”

He added that this would be discussed with the BBNPA Chief Executive Catherine Mealing-Jones.