National Park authority reveals plans to cut funding for schemes
NORTH YORK Moors National Park Authority has revealed plans to cut funding for many grantfunded initiatives, ranging from those working to improve wildlife habitats to those boosting tourism.
An authority meeting heard much of the public sector was experiencing a challenging time, but as its money- making ventures, volunteer recruitment and grant applications had been successful, it was continuing to deliver “a lot of activity”.
However, the meeting was told while its grant from Government was likely to remain below inflation, so financial pressures would continue. The authority’s core services, members heard, were likely to decline to support discretionary grant- funded project and programme work.
Exacerbating this, the pandemic has resulted in a “significant impact” on the authority’s income, and with a potential for further lockdowns being introduced at very short notice, the authority was planning for at least a real terms reduction in funding.
The authority’s members were told that pressures on its budget last year, such as the Government grant being frozen and an above inflation pay award for public sector workers, were covered from its reserves, but a longer term. solution was needed with a projected deficit of between £ 104,000 and £ 580,000 next year.
Chief financial officer Peter Williams said immediate efficiency savings may be challenging to achieve, although there was considerable potential for new technology combined with changes in working practices to generate savings and productivity gains.
He said if the deficit was restricted to £ 362,000, proposed cutbacks included £ 75,000 less for a scheme to protect, enhance and connect wildlife sites to other sites by creating corridors or ‘ stepping stones’.
Other proposed cutbacks would see less spent on improving biodiversity, restoring native trees on ancient woodlands, reduced funding for heritage buildings and for rangers’ work, as well as less for village improvement schemes. Mr Williams said: “There is nothing good to reduce, so it’s a conversation across all offices what area we will be able to reduce with the least impact.”
Jim Bailey, the authority’s chairman, said he supported the action to cut funding across a range of activities on a shortterm basis “to get us out of a hole”.