Authority Members

Northumberland National Park Authority consists of 22 members who are appointed to represent local interests and communities and also national interests.

There were eight new appointments to the Authority made by the Secretary of State on 1st April 2009 following the end of the terms of appointment for two long-serving Secretary of State appointees, Mr Eddie Idle and Mr John Vaughan and the departure of the six District Council members with the abolition of Tynedale District, Alnwick District and Berwick-upon-Tweed District Councils on 31st March 2009.

Membership of Northumberland National Park Authority from 1st April 2009 is confirmed as:

Northumberland County Council (local authority): Brian Douglas; Anthony Murray; John Riddle, Alan Sharp; Dougie Watkin; Tom Wilson

Secretary of State (Parish): Sue Bolam*, Derek Edwards; Rachel Pearson; Philip Straker; Brian Walters, Johnny Wilson

Secretary of State (Local, Regional and National): Mike Bell, Robert Cornall, Paul Cowie, Adrian Hinchcliffe, Alasdair Mitchell, Peter Murray, Peter Nicholson; Liz Stockdale, Graham Usher, Mel Whewell.

*Cllr Bolam was appointed as a Parish member having previously been appointed by Alnwick District Council.

The Chairman of the Authority is Cllr John Riddle and the Deputy Chairman, Mr Adrian Hinchcliffe, who were elected at the Authority's Annual Meeting on 24th June 2009, to serve for the forthcoming year.

Changes to Membership Structure from 1st April 2009

Mr Huw Irranca-Davies, Minister for the Natural and Marine Environment, Wildlife and Rural Affairs, issued The National Park Authorities (Amendment) (England) Order 2009 in March 2009, following the consultation period on the balance of membership for Northumberland National Park Authority, which reduced the number of local authority members for Northumberland National Park Authority from 12 to six; increased the number of parish members appointed by the Secretary of State from four to six; and increased the number of other members appointed by the Secretary of State from six to 10.

Members of Northumberland National Park Authority follow an official Code of Conduct. These standards are set by government and the independent Standards Board for England. To find-out more about these standards please view our members standards pages.

For further information about membership of the National Park Authority please contact:

Committee Administrator
Telephone: 01434 611515
Fax: 01434 611675
Email: committees@nnpa.org.uk