Peak District: Dozens of jobs face the axe at national park authority due to 'unprecedented financial pressures'

The Peak District National Park Authority, which covers a swathe of Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire, and Cheshire, has begun a consultation with staff in a bid to cut costs.

As many as one in five (15 to 20 per cent) of its full-time roster of 190 people could be impacted.

The authority, which cited higher national insurance employer contributions and the rise in minimum wage among the financially pressures it is facing, is looking at “potentially cutting or reducing some of its high profile and much valued programmes”.

It said: “We anticipate our formal education offer (with schools, higher education students and young people), wellbeing work – such as health-related and community walks and events, and some, but not all, of our direct visitor engagement services may be impacted.”

A small visitor centre could close, with another losing its retail function, but the main centres at Bakewell and Castleton will remain open.

The news was broken to staff at a meeting at its headquarters at Aldern House, Bakewell, on Thursday.

Chief executive Phil Mulligan said: “We are facing a very challenging financial landscape. The proposals we are having to consider are extremely difficult and upsetting for everyone.

“None of us want to make these decisions but they cannot be avoided unless there is significantly better news from government on our funding.”

The Peak District, which forms the southern extremity of the Pennines, was designated a national park on April 17, 1951.

It was the first national park in the UK. Much of it is upland above 1,000 feet, its highest point being Kinder Scout at 2,087 ft.

The authority has a budget of just £6.5m – a figure lower than most secondary schools.

Its flagship estate is Stanage-North Lees, only six miles from Sheffield, a popular place for walkers and for rock climbing.

In a statement the authority, which relies on a fixed government grant, which does not take into account inflation, also cited the ending of the government’s rate relief scheme.

External audit costs have risen 150 per cent, while insurance has gone up 74 per cent in the last three years. It said overall it had a real-terms cut of around 50 per cent over the last ten years.

It comes just two years after another cost-cutting programme, which reduced management costs and combined several service areas.

The authority is offering voluntary redundancy to staff throughout the organisation and not just the immediately-affected departments, which include customer services and communications, and this may affect the number of compulsory redundancies needed.

However “some compulsory post losses are anticipated”.

The restructure is expected to be concluded ahead of members agreeing next year’s budget on March 21.