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

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

This will be the third time Cllr Ratcliffe has served as BBNPA chairman.

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

Cllr Ratcliffe said: “Thank you very much, members. I look forward to working with you all 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 unanimously approved Dr Bickerton’s appointment as deputy chairwoman for a second successive year.

Members also appointed representatives to the authority’s various committees and outside bodies.

This included the reappointment of Welsh Government appointee Steve Rayner as chairman of the Planning Committee, with Cllr Huw Williams (Powys) continuing as deputy chairman.

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

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

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

She took up her role with Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority in July 2021, having previously been Director of Growth at the UK Space Agency.

At a meeting in May, members were told that the authority had received 39 applications for the chief executive role.

Last month, an extraordinary authority meeting was held in private session to discuss "senior staffing".

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