A Powys County Council member has questioned the need to establish a new national park in Wales.

Plaid Cymru councillor and prospective parliamentary candidate Elwyn Vaughan was speaking after visiting a consultation event by Natural Resources Wales at Llanfyllin on Monday.

The Welsh Government has commissioned NRW, as the designating authority in Wales, to evaluate the case for a new National Park based on the existing Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

However the proposed boundary of the park has been extended south to the A458 and the Banwy valley, taking in a large part of Powys. It has previously been suggested it could make Llanfyllin the "gateway" to the new park.

The case for a new National Park will be considered within the existing Senedd term (2021-2026).

Following the consultation, all responses and any amendments to the boundary will be considered before presenting a recommendation to Welsh Government.

But Cllr Vaughan said: "Today we attended a Powys Council seminar only to be told of the huge financial pressures facing local authorities in general and Powys specifically with the need to save £18m in 2024/5 alone.

"Yet then in Llanfyllin NRW were consulting on the new proposed national park extending down as far as Llangadfan.

"It's difficult to see the advantages of a new national park whilst facing multi-million pound cuts in Powys.

"The existing national parks already face cuts and financial pressures, it is inevitable therefore that the creation of a extra local authority in essence will draw from the same ever diminishing pot of money and exasperate the situation."

Cllr Vaughan also warned a new national park could drive up house prices even higher.

"There are also concerns about park status creating further housing pressures pushing house prices up, creating tourism honey pots and congestion and planning restrictions," said Cllr Vaughan. 

"At a time when local authorities have to do a new LDP (Local Development Plan) wouldn't it be better to incorporate the best values of a park into that rather than create another tier of expensive bureaucracy and in essence a new local authority.

"It is imperative that all concerned respond to the current consultation."