New chair for Forestry Commission

Pamela Warhurst has been appointed as chair of the Forestry Commission.

The appointment has been welcomed by Tim Rollinson, director-general.

“Pam Warhurst brings a wealth of experience in fields new to the Commission, but which will be important to us as we continue to develop to meet the rapidly changing needs of society. I am very much looking forward to working with her.”

Mrs Warhurst, from Todmorden in West Yorkshire, was until recently a Member of the Board of Natural England, where she was the lead non-executive member working on the Countryside & Rights of Way Bill.

She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts & Manufacturing, and chairs Pennine Prospects, a regeneration company for the South Pennines, and Incredible Edible Todmorden, a local food partnership.

She has previously been the leader of Calderdale Council, deputy chair and acting chair of the Countryside Agency, a board member of Yorkshire Forward, and chair of the National Countryside Access Forum and the Calderdale NHS Trust.

She was appointed CBE in 2005 for services to the environment.