Concern as staff had to be paid from DNPA reserves after funding delay

STAFF at Dartmoor National Park Authority (DNPA) had to be paid from reserves for two months after the usual government funding didn’t arrive in time.

- by ALISON STEPHENSON Local Democracy Reporter

The authority is writing to nature minister Mary Creagh to say the delay in the national park grant from Defra, which pays for day-to-day operations and the 90-strong workforce, had “real impact” and that “every penny is important” to the financially-strapped park authority.

DNPA received notification of the grant on May 28 but didn’t receive the money until June 16, even though the financial year begins on April 1.

Chief executive Dr Kevin Bishop told a meeting of the authority this was the latest the money had ever gone into the bank account or notification of it received.

“It means we were using our reserves to fund the authority's operation in April and May due to this delay.