Statement on outcome of organisational change at the Peak District National Park Authority

The Peak District National Park Authority is continuing its plan for further significant financial challenges due to a declining government grant and increasing costs. The Authority is still awaiting its grant settlement for next year, and is expecting an indicative budget for the following two years. As we await the grant settlement, we have modelled the impact would be from various scenarios and cannot rule out the possibility of a further grant cut. To help prepare for this potential outcome, the Authority recently undertook staff consultation on various aspects of organisational change.

This consultation has now closed, and we are grateful to all staff who contributed to the consultation, and those taking voluntary redundancy, which reduces the number of compulsory redundancies. As a result of the feedback, we have made some changes to the final structures that were agreed yesterday. In particular, we’ve responded to staff concerns about proposed line management changes and the need to maintain the right level of resource in key areas. We have identified some additional income growth that has allowed us to retain capacity in some key areas.

In summary, the final structure changes are:

• Reduce the number of services from four to three with the disestablishment of the Landscape and Engagement Service.
• Move teams from the Landscape and Engagement Service to the three remaining Services.
• Reductions in the size of teams in Engagement, Land and Nature, Rural Estates, Development and Enforcement, Rangers and Trails. As a result of feedback, we have retained greater capacity than originally planned in Nature, Rangers and Trails. We have also sourced external funding to continue Farm Advice for a further year.
• Changes in the Cultural Heritage, Finance, Rangers and Assets teams.

It is extremely regrettable that the Authority is being put into a position where it has had to make such difficult decisions. The decisions are in no way a reflection of the value or quality of the work undertaken by those affected.

The Authority continues to explore opportunities for income growth alongside potential savings and an ongoing case is being made to government about the value of the work undertaken by the National Park Authority. Work is also continuing to try and secure extra external funding for specific projects and areas of work.