Coronavirus: Yorkshire Dales day trippers helped boost coffers
- Published
The Yorkshire Dales national park has seen a wave of visitors since lockdown restrictions were eased
Visitors returning to a national park after lockdown restrictions were eased had an "extremely positive effect" on finances, a report has found.
The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority had revised its budget in May, fearing a number of services would be cut or stopped altogether.
But after car parks were reopened the same month, the park saw a sharp rise in visitors.
It comes after some criticised visitors for breaking social distancing rules.
The report said that since May the financial outlook had improved after the authority took a decision to reopen car parks and visitor centres considerably earlier than had been initially predicted.
Assumptions about reductions in planning fees due to lockdown also proved to be "over-pessimistic".
According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the authority is now forecast to have £350,000 of extra income for the year and there was "no emerging risk of a financial shortfall".
However, the authority has warned there remains "a considerable risk" to its finances due to the "rapidly changing situation".
The report , externalis due to go before the authority's finance committee next week.
Signs asked visitors to stay away
The authority closed its car parks in March in a bid to deter visitors.
Parts of the park also faced issues with litter and overcrowding, and signs were put up asking people to stay away.
Officials estimated that about 70% of visitors after restrictions were eased had never been before.
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