Redundancies and service cuts are confirmed to address financial pressures. Key visitor sites face changes.
Changes will impact customer services and communications. Community work may shrink, along with education and wellbeing. They will still seek funding for important projects.
Edale visitor center may close, said an official in January. Fairholmes might only offer cycle rentals. Welcome hubs will stay open at Castleton and Bakewell. Specific actions are still being confirmed.
They won’t replace staff with volunteers, but they want more volunteers. Volunteers will help at busy places around the park. This includes visitor centers, cycle rentals and other spots.
Chief Executive Phil Mulligan calls the changes “extremely difficult.” Vital programs are being cut. These decisions were unavoidable due to funding because government funding has not improved.
The authority has financial problems. Government grants don’t cover rising costs. National Insurance, minimum wage, and rates add pressure. Some external costs increased dramatically.
They restructured just two years ago. That reduced senior roles and combined services. It boosted their planning function.
An anonymous donor is helping to transform visitor centers. This hopes to ensure they stay open. Edale’s visitor center might close while Fairholmes becomes cycle-hire only.
About 65 jobs were at risk last time. It’s uncertain how many people left then. The authority expects some job losses now and considered voluntary redundancies to reduce the impact.
The members will approve next year’s budget on March 21. This restructuring will enable that.