THE YORKSHIRE Dales National Park Authority has a new chairman.

Craven District Councillor Carl Lis was elected to head the Authority for the third time.

He takes over from the former barrister and and circuit judge, Peter Charlesworth.

Cllr Lis, who represents the Ingleborough Ward, has been deputy chairman for the past 12 months and has been an authority member for 20 years.

He said that he was 'pleased' that the members had shown their trust in him again by electing him as chairman.

"I love the National Park and I love being involved in the National Park Authority and I'm incredibly proud of what we have achieved over the years in terms of the landscape, our local communities and visitors," he said. "Peter Charlesworth has done an absolutely fantastic as chairman and my intention is to continue with the good work he has done.

"His work on the new boundary extension that comes into being on August 1 and his ability to guide us through quite a number of contentious debates has been tremendous."

At the same meeting, the Authority's Member Champion for Natural Environment, Ian McPherson, was elected deputy chairman of the Authority.

Mr McPherson is a South Lakeland district councillor and is a Sedbergh Parish Council appointee and the current Cumbrian parishes’ representative on the Authority.

From 1 August, when the boundary of the Yorkshire Dales National Park is extended to take in parts of Cumbria and Lancashire, he will represent all the ‘new’ parishes as well as his current three until his term of office ends in 2018.