Jobs cuts plan at Lakes authority in Cumbria

A dozen jobs could be axed at the Lake District National Park Authority, it has been announced.

The move is in response to "anticipated government cuts", the authority said.

It said the job cuts were part of a £522,000 savings package. A month-long staff consultation procedure is in place.

The authority said it had already reduced costs by £1.1m, saving the equivalent of 30 jobs, in the past year.

In a meeting, authority members were told that the exact details of the cut to the LDNPA's annual £7m grant from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs were still unclear, but a 25% reduction would mean it would be short of £1.1m by 2014/15.

Action plan

An action plan is to be put in place to deliver a new organisational strategy focusing on partnership, working with communities and a high-quality planning service.

It was envisaged that the plan would re-allocate cash to deliver the new strategy and provide a safety-net if the financial picture worsens.

A report from director of corporate services Kerry Powell said that by making the savings now, the authority would be able to free up resources to deliver its operational strategy and protect jobs.

He said: "By taking the savings we will be much more likely to reduce the scale and scope of a second round of savings currently projected for 2013/14. This will protect more jobs in the longer run."