THE new chairman of the Dartmoor National Park Authority has been welcomed into his new position by Central Devon MP Mel Stride. Peter Harper was elected to the post on July 4 after Bill Hitchens stood down for health reasons. Mr Harper has been managing the family farm in the Teign valley for the last 20 years, and has been a Secretary of State appointed Member of the National Park Authority since 2008. Mr Stride said: 'The National Park Authority performs a valuable role in the conservation, enhancement and understanding of the special qualities of Dartmoor, its landscape, wildlife and cultural heritage. I have enjoyed working with Bill Hitchens and wish him well and look forward to working with Peter and his team.' Mr Harper added: 'I was very pleased to meet with Mel and discuss some of our challenges, having the support of our MP is very key in fulfilling our role.'