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Our members

Eighteen members are appointed to Northumberland National Park Authority to serve for a fixed term of appointment (may be renewable) made up of:

Six appointed annually by Northumberland County Council following their Annual Meeting (usually May) and any local elections.

Six national members appointed by the Secretary of State for the Environment to represent local, regional or national interests for a four-year term (maximum of two terms).

Six parish members appointed by the Secretary of State for the Environment through a group selection process following parish council elections to represent the six parish groupings in the National Park. Three from the North of the Park (formerly the Alnwick and Berwick Districts) and three from the South of the Park (formerly Tynedale District).

Opportunities to apply to become a Secretary of State member are advertised on the Defra and Northumberland National Park websites when they arise.

At the Authority Annual Meeting on 21 June 2023 Ms Jean Davidson was re-elected Authority Chair and Cllr Denis Mullan was elected as Authority Deputy Chair until the date of the 2024 Annual Meeting.

Member profiles

Committees and working groups

Find out about our member's appointments and the committees and working groups they sit on.

Ms Jean Davidson - Chair

Secretary of State (National) member – extended in June 2023

Chair of Northumberland National Park Authority – re-appointed on 21 June 2023

Current appointment:  March 2018 – June 2024

Sits on the following Northumberland National Park Authority Committees and Working Groups:

  • Member of the Chief Executive and Directors Performance Review Panel
  • Represents the Authority at UK National Parks Executive
  • National Parks England

Cllr Denis Mullan - Deputy Chair

Secretary of State (Parish) member- appointed on 21 July 2021

Deputy Chair of Northumberland National Park Authority – appointed on 21 June 2023

Current appointment: May 2021 – May 2025

Sits on the following Northumberland National Park Authority Committees and Working Groups (appointed on 21 June 2023):

  • Deputy Chair of the Authority
  • Finance & Audit Group
  • Authority Review

Cllr John Riddle OBE

Northumberland County Council member re-appointed on 30 May 2023

Current appointment: to May 2024

Sits on the following Northumberland National Park Authority Committees and Working Groups (appointed on 21 June 2023):

  • Development Management Committee (Deputy Chair)

Cllr Alan Sharp

Northumberland County Council member re-appointed on 30 May 2023

Current appointment: to May 2024

Sits on the following Northumberland National Park Authority Committees and Working Groups (appointed on 21 June 2023):

  • Development Management Committee
  • Authority Review
  • Standards & Appeals Committee and
  • Finance & Audit Group

Cllr Eileen Cartie

Northumberland County Council member re-appointed on 30 May 2023

Current appointment: to May 2024

Sits on the following Northumberland National Park Authority Committees and Working Groups (appointed on 21 June 2023):

  • Standards & Appeals Committee

Cllr Sue Bolam

Secretary of State (Parish) member re-appointed in May 2021

Current appointment: to May 2025

Sits on the following Northumberland National Park Authority Committees and Working Groups (appointed on 21 June 2023):

  • Development Management Committee
  • Finance & Audit Group

Cllr Valerie Gibson

Secretary of State (Parish) member re-appointed in May 2021

Current appointment: to May 2025

Sits on the following Northumberland National Park Authority Committees and Working Groups (appointed on 21 June 2023):

  • Development Management Committee
  • Authority Review
  • Standards & Appeals Committee
  • Historic Environment Champion

Ms Fiona Gough

Secretary of State (National) member- extended in June 2023

Current appointment: to March 2024

Sits on the following Northumberland National Park Authority Committees and Working Groups (appointed on 21 June 2023):

  • Authority Review
  • Finance & Audit Group
  • Authority representative on the Joint Local Access Forum (shared)
  • Policy Conference Lead Member

Cllr Andy Saunders

Secretary of State (Parish) member re-appointed in May 2021

Current appointment: to May 2025

Sits on the following Northumberland National Park Authority Committees and Working Groups (appointed on 21 June 2023):

  • Authority Review Group
  • Finance & Audit Group

Cllr Julian Morrison-Bell

Secretary of State (Parish) member re-appointed in May 2021

Current appointment: to May 2025

Sits on the following Northumberland National Park Authority Committees and Working Groups (appointed on 21 June 2023):

  • Authority Review

Cllr Mark Purvis

Northumberland County Council member re-appointed on 30 May 2023

Current appointment: to May 2024

Sits on the following Northumberland National Park Authority Committees and Working Groups (appointed on 21 June 2023):

  • Finance & Audit Group

 

Ms Pippa Ross

Secretary of State (National) member re-appointed in June 2021

Current appointment: to June 2025

Sits on the following Northumberland National Park Authority Committees and Working Groups (appointed on 21 June 2023):

  • Authority Review
  • Standards & Appeals Committee

Mr Chris Mullin

Secretary of State (National) member extended in February 2021

Current appointment: to June 2025

Sits on the following Northumberland National Park Authority Committees and Working Groups (appointed on 21 June 2023):

  • Development Management Committee
  • Authority Review (Chair)
  • Authority representative for the Campaign for National Parks

Ms Liz Ellis

Secretary of State (National) member appointed in July 2020

Current appointment: to June 2024

Sits on the following Northumberland National Park Authority Committees and Working Groups (appointed on 21 June 2023):

  • Authority Review
  • Standards & Appeals Committee
  • Equality Standard Champion

Ms Marie Fallon

Secretary of State (National) member appointed in July 2020

Current appointment: to June 2024

Sits on the following Northumberland National Park Authority Committees and Working Groups (appointed on 21 June 2023):

  • Development Management Committee
  • Standards & Appeals Committee
  • Authority Review
  • Authority representative on the Joint Local Access Forum (shared)
  • Climate Change Champion
  • Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) Member

Cllr Mark Mather

Northumberland County Council member re-appointed on 30 May 2023

Current appointment: to May 2024

Sits on the following Northumberland National Park Authority Committees and Working Groups (appointed on 21 June 2023):

  • Development Management Committee
  • Youth Engagement Champion

 

Cllr Len Glen-Davison

Secretary of State (Parish) member appointed on 21 July 2021

Current appointment: to May 2025

Sits on the following Northumberland National Park Authority Committees and Working Groups (appointed on 21 June 2023):

  • Development Management Committee
  • Harden Quarry Liaison Committee

Cllr Catherine Seymour

Northumberland County Council member appointed on 30 May 2023

Current appointment: to May 2024

Sits on the following Northumberland National Park Authority Committees and Working Groups (appointed on 21 June 2023):

  • Authority Review
  • Standards and Appeals Committee

Code of Conduct

Members of Northumberland National Park Authority follow an official code of conduct, the standards for which are set by government. These standards are monitored through Northumberland National Park Authority’s Standards and Appeals Committee.

Member Code of Conduct July 2022

If you believe a member of this Authority has breached this Code of Conduct, your complaint should be addressed in writing to:

The Monitoring Officer
Northumberland National Park Authority
Eastburn
South Park
Hexham
NE46 1BS

Email: monitoringofficers@nnpa.org.uk

The Authority’s complaints procedure for members can be seen here.

Register of Member's Interest

All members of the Authority are required by law to complete a declaration of interest form to register their financial interests – the Register of Interests. These include:

  • details of any employment or business carried out by them;
  • the name of their employer:
  • details of any Directorships;
  • contracts between themselves/their firm and the Authority:
  • interests in land in the area.

A full description of financial interests is set out in the Northumberland National Park Authority’s Code of Conduct.

A summary of the Register of Members’ Interests can be found below.

Register of Members’ Interests 2023-24 – PDF File

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

Corporate Support Officer Tel: 01434 605555
E-mail: committees@nnpa.org.uk