Peak District National Park Authority announces redundancies and significant restructure amid ‘unprecedented financial pressures’

The Peak District National Park Authority has confirmed it is beginning consultations with a number of staff over restructure proposals that are being driven by a need to cut costs.

The Authority said it was facing ongoing financial pressures due to a fixed government grant that does not take into account inflation and additional pressures, such as the recent increase in Employers National Insurance Contributions, the rise in the minimum wage, the ending of the government’s rate relief scheme and some external costs rising by as much as 150%.

Overall, the Authority said it has faced a real-terms cut of around 50% over the last ten years. It added that these funding pressures have coincided with an increase in visitor numbers to the National Park, along with heightened expectations about what the National Park should be delivering for nature, climate and wellbeing.

It is only two years since the Authority last had to undertake a restructure programme. It said that these changes had reduced management costs and combined several service areas, whilst allowing for an investment in the Authority’s statutory planning function.

The Authority added that, following this last round of changes, they have faced unprecedented financial pressures – whilst their core government grant remains flat.

The current round of proposed changes includes making efficiencies within important functions such as customer services and communications and having to reduce the size and scope of community engagement, education and wellbeing work. With the ongoing support of a philanthropic donor, some transformational changes are also being proposed for the Authority’s Visitor and Cycle Hire Centres to ensure their long-term viability.

Phil Mulligan, the Authority’s Chief Executive, said: “We are facing a very challenging financial landscape. The proposals we are having to consider are extremely difficult and upsetting for everyone.

“We are looking at potentially cutting or reducing some of our high profile and much-valued programmes. None of us want to make these decisions but they cannot be avoided unless there is significantly better news from government on our funding.”

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The Authority has confirmed the possibility of a number of redundancies, which it is seeking to mitigate through the consideration of voluntary redundancies across the organisation. It is expected that the restructure will be concluded ahead of Authority Members needing to agree next year’s budget at their meeting on March 21.