Statement on potential organisational change at the Peak District National Park Authority

The Peak District National Park Authority is having to plan for further significant financial challenges due to a declining government grant and increasing costs. The Authority is expecting to hear news from government later this year as to what the next three-year grant settlement will be. The Authority is actively modelling what 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 has launched a staff consultation process to consider various aspects of organisational change. The consultation will run from 9 October to 9 November.

In summary, the consultation will be around the following high-level proposals:

• 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.
• 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 is having to make such difficult decisions. The decisions that are having to be made are in no way a reflection of the value or quality of the work undertaken by those affected. With a declining government grant the Authority simply cannot carry on doing as much work as it has in the past. It is particularly disheartening, that at a time when government policy and sentiment (but not funding) is focused on nature recovery and agricultural transition, that this is one of the areas where the Authority is having to consider a reduction in capacity. The Authority is grateful to those staff that have expressed an interest in voluntary redundancy or reduced hours as a way of helping minimise the number of potential compulsory redundancies.

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. Staff will be kept fully informed of business changes processes as they develop.