Excellent levels of member development and support at the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority have been recognised through the award of a formal charter to the organisation.

The Charter for Member Support and Development will be formally presented to the authority in November following an external review led by the Welsh Local Government Association.

Speaking of the award, authority chairman Richard Howells said: "This is a wonderful achievement for the organisation and goes a long way to recognise the hard work and commitment of members and officers towards member development and support.

"This was recognised by the review team in acknowledging that continued efforts have underpinned the achievements made to date and provide a sound basis for further developments.

"The review also marked up that the support from officers for members was excellent, responsive and above expectations and that the induction process for new members is comprehensive, relevant, timely and well received.

"High praise was also given for the authority's commitment to collaborative working with the other National Park Authorities in Wales, sharing in the provision of training and mutual support.

"Members look forward to working with officers to deliver the recommendations presented by the review team, including the creation of personal reviews, role descriptions and training needs analysis to further support members' development."

Charter status will be held for three years, following which the authority can apply for reassessment at this level or apply for the advanced level award.