µµµ Please note venue & start time of meeting µµµ
AGENDA
MEETING: FINANCE AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE [Membership: John Blackie, Chris Clark, Nick Cotton, Richard Foster, Julie Hutton, Carl Lis, Jocelyn Manners-Armstrong, Ian McPherson, Ian Mitchell, William Patterson, Gillian Quinn, Karin Sedgwick and Neil Swain.]
VENUE: Dales Countryside Mu seum , Hawes
DATE/TIME: Tuesda y, 11 September 20 18 at 10.30am
µµµ Please see the attached “ NOTES FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND AUTHORITY MEMBERS” µµµ
BUSINESS Indicative Page Part One – “Procedural” items Duration No
1. Minutes of the meeting held on 31 July 2018 1
2. Public Questions / Statements
3. Exclusion of the public from the meeting during the consideration of Item No 13 on the agenda on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972
4. Apologies for absence
5. Declarations of lobbying
Part Two – Items/Reports which require a decision from Members
6. Disposal of Land at Aysgarth Falls (10 mins) 5
7. Opportunities Fund Proposal: Tour de Yorkshire 2019 (10 mins) 13
8. Short-term Funding of the work of the Yorkshire Peat Partnership: Winter 2018 (10 mins) 17
Part Three – Items/Reports which are for Members to note
9. Financial Progress report: 1 st quarter to 30 th June 2018 (10 mins) 23
F&R11sep18Agenda
Indicative Page Duration No
10. Income Generation Strategy: progress update (5 mins) 35
11. Staffing (5 mins) 39
12. Sickness Absence (5 mins) 41
Part Four – Private Business - Items/Reports circulated to Members only
13. Dales Countryside Museum – Remedial Repairs (20 mins)
∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑
14. Urgent business - where the Chairman has agreed that there are special circumstances.
David Butterworth Note - Tea/coffee will be available before/during the Chief Executive meeting. National Park Authority Office A light, sandwich lunch will be provided following this Yoredale, Bainbridge Committee, at Yoredale , for those members who also 30 August 2018 serve on Planning Committee.
Finance and Resources Committee – Terms of Reference
To act on behalf of the Authority in relation to the proper administration of the Authority's financial affairs, except as provided in (b) below (where the final decision on the annual budget is made by the Authority), and including:-
a) cash balances, capital or reserve funds, borrowing arrangements and the investment of any surplus funds; b) management and monitoring of financial forecasts and budgets, and making recommendations to the Authority regarding the annual allocation of resources; c) overseeing the application of the Local Government Superannuation Acts and associated regulations; d) ensuring that the Authority makes adequate insurance arrangements; e) advising the Authority in relation to its Members' Allowances Scheme and dealing with related matters.
To determine the Authority's personnel policies and monitor their implementation, including administration, recruitment, training, discipline (including dismissal), determination of wage and salary scales, health and safety, regrading, grievances, conditions of service and welfare of all staff and the legislation relating to industrial relations and pensions, except that the Authority shall be responsible for all matters concerning the appointment of the Chief Executive (National Park Officer).
To act on behalf of the Authority in relation to any matters, powers or duties concerned with the securing, management and disposal of the resources, including land, property and other assets, necessary to fulfil the Authority's statutory purposes, agreed policies and strategic direction, including monitoring the efficient and effective use of these resources.
F&R11sep18Agenda
NOTES FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND AUTHORITY MEMBERS
1. Declarations of Interest: Authority Members should make any declarations of interest at the start of the appropriate item.
2. Public Questions/Statements: The National Park Authority has allocated up to 15 minutes at the start of meetings to allow members of the public the opportunity to ask questions and/or to make statements that relate to the work of the Authority or the appropriate Committee. Anyone wishing to ask a question or make a statement must ‘register’ that intention with the Chief Executive by 12 noon on the working day before the meeting. More detailed guidance is available from the Authority’s Committees Officer. (This procedure is in addition to the opportunity to speak on planning applications at the Planning Committee.)
For anyone registered to speak at today’s meeting – the Chairman will call you at the appropriate time – each Speaker will have up to three minutes.
3. Filming/Recording of Meetings: The National Park Authority routinely records all full Authority and Planning Committee Meetings. Filming/recording of Authority meetings, Committee and sub-committee meetings is permitted provided it does not disrupt the smooth running of the meeting. The Chairman reserves the absolute right to ask for filming or recording of a meeting to cease if, in his/her opinion, continuing to film/record would be disruptive to, or prejudice, proceedings. Ultimately the Chairman may suspend or adjourn the meeting. Anyone filming a meeting is asked only to focus on those actively participating. Those attending National Park Authority meetings should be aware that they may be filmed and that attendance at the meeting signifies agreement to this. The Authority cannot accept responsibility for the content of any recording made, once it has been taken away from the Authority’s premises.
4. Health & Safety: All members of the public and Authority members should sign the Visitors Book on entering and leaving the building – this is necessary in order that, if the building has to be evacuated, all persons can be accounted for.
In the event of the fire alarms being activated, all those present at the meeting should leave the building by the main entrance (if possible), go straight across the car park (with the central wall on your left) and assemble at the far right-hand side of the lower part of the car park by the Fire Assembly Point. Please go straight to the Assembly Point as not doing so may delay checks that everyone is accounted for.
5. Meeting Room(s) Hearing Loop: As well as using a conference sound system at Authority and Planning Committee meetings, each of the rooms used for formal meetings of the Authority and its Committees has an induction loop system fitted. If you have a hearing aid with a ‘T’ setting, please switch it to ‘T’.
6. Agenda Papers: The agenda and all public reports for meetings of the Authority (and each of its Committees) are normally available for public inspection five working days before the meeting. The papers are also posted on the Authority’s website and a limited number of copies are available for reference at each meeting.
If you have any general enquiries/comments about the above or the way in which the Authority’s decision-making processes operate, please contact the Committees Officer by post (to Yoredale, Bainbridge, Leyburn, DL8 3EL); telephone 0300 456 0030; or email: [email protected].
Committee Membership and Member Champions as at 6 Aug 2018
Member Appointing Planning Audit & Finance & Standards body Review Resources M’ship/Quorum → 17/7 12/6 13/6 5/3 Blackie John NYCC V V Clark Chris SoS(P) V V Cotton Nick CCC S2 V Donovan Judith SoS V V Foster Richard CDC S1 V V Heseltine Neil SoS(P) S1 * V V Heseltine Robert CDC S2 V Hutton Julie SoS S1 V Ireton David NYCC S1 V V Kirkbride Allen SoS(P) V V S Lis Carl CDC V V Manners-Armstrong Jocelyn SoS V V V Martin Julie SoS V V McPherson Ian SoS(P) V V Mitchell Ian SLDC V V Munday Jim SoS V V Patterson William EDC V V Pattison Margaret LCyC V V Peacock Yvonne RDC V V Quinn Gillian NYCC V V Sedgwick Karin NYCC V Swain Neil SoS V V Thornton-Berry Caroline RDC V V Towneley Cosima LCC V V Welch Richard NYCC V V *Neil Heseltine currently ineligible to ‘Sub’- Planning training lapsed (Mar 18)
CDC= Craven District Council; EDC= Eden District Council; LCyC= Lancaster City Council; RDC=Richmondshire District Council; SLDC=South Lakeland District Council; CCC=Cumbria County Council; LCC= Lancashire County Council; NYCC= North Yorkshire County Council; SoS=Secretary of State; SoS(P)=Secretary of State (Parish);
CHAIRMEN AND DEPUTY CHAIRMEN Date elected Chairman Deputy Chairman Authority (26/06/18) Carl Lis Jocelyn Manners-Armstrong Planning (10/07/18) Caroline Thornton-Berry Julie Martin Audit and Review (10/07/18) Yvonne Peacock Jim Munday Finance and Resource (31/07/18) Jocelyn Manners-Armstrong Nick Cotton Standards (07/11/17) Jocelyn Manners-Armstrong -
MEMBER CHAMPIONS Area of responsibility Member appointed Term of appointment Natural Environment Ian McPherson Nov15 – Nov18 Cultural Heritage Julie Martin Sep17 – Sep20 Recreation Management Nick Cotton Dec16 – Dec19 Promoting Understanding Judith Donovan June17 – June20 Development Management Jim Munday June18 – June21 Sustainable Development Chris Clark Sept16 – Sept19 Corporate Management Vacant -
YORKSHIRE DALES NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY ITEM 1 FINANCE AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE
Minutes of the meeting held at Yoredale, Bainbridge on Tuesday, 31 July 2018
Present:
Richard Foster, Carl Lis, Jocelyn Manners-Armstrong, Ian McPherson, Ian Mitchell, William Patterson, Gillian Quinn and Karin Sedgwick
COPIES OF ALL DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED ARE IN THE MINUTE BOOK
33/18 MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMITTEE
The report of the Committees Officer was noted.
34/18 ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN
Having been nominated unopposed, it was
RESOLVED –
That Jocelyn Manners-Armstrong be elected Chairman of the Committee, to hold office until the first meeting of the Committee following the annual meeting of the Authority in 2019.
JOCELYN MANNERS-ARMSTRONG IN THE CHAIR
35/18 ELECTION OF DEPUTY CHAIRMAN
Having been nominated unopposed, it was
RESOLVED –
That Nick Cotton be elected Deputy Chairman of the Committee, to hold office until the first meeting of the Committee following the annual meeting of the Authority in 2019.
36/18 MINUTES
RESOLVED –
That the minutes of the meeting held on 22 May 2018, having been printed and circulated, be taken as read and be confirmed and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.
FR11sep18Item01 31jul18pubmins 1 of 43
37/18 PUBLIC QUESTIONS/STATEMENTS
No notifications of public questions or of the intention to make a statement had been received.
38/18 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies for absence were received from John Blackie, Chris Clark, Nick Cotton and Neil Swain.
39/18 DECLARATIONS OF LOBBYING
No declarations of lobbying were made at the meeting.
40/18 EXTERNAL AUDITORS REPORT ON 2018 AUDIT
CONSIDERED – the report of the Head of Finance and Resources
RESOLVED –
That the Treasurer and the Chairman sign the Letter of Representation (appended at Appendix A to the report). The signing of the letter be deemed as evidence that Members have had opportunity to comment in accordance with International Standard on Auditing 260 (ISA 260). And that the contents of the Audit Results Report (appended at Appendix B to the report) be noted.
41/18 STATEMENT OF FINAL ACCOUNTS 2017/18
CONSIDERED – the report of the Head of Finance and Resources.
RESOLVED –
That the Statement of Accounts for the Financial Year Ended 31 March 2018 be approved; and that
the Annual Governance Statement be approved.
42/18 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT FUND PROPOSAL: SMARDALE GILL NATIONAL NATURE RESERVE
[Ian McPherson declared a personal interest in the application as a Member of Cumbria Wildlife Trust.]
FR11sep18Item01 31jul18pubmins 2 of 43
CONSIDERED – the report of the Sustainable Development Officer.
RESOLVED –
That a grant of £15,820 from the Sustainable Development Fund towards the ‘Jewel in the Crown project that has been requested by Cumbria Wildlife Trust (SDF reference SD0108) be granted.
43/18 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT FUND PROPOSAL: SEDBERGH SPORTS HALL
CONSIDERED – the report of the Sustainable Development Officer.
RESOLVED –
That a grant of £20,000 from the Authority’s Sustainable Development Fund towards SD0085 Sedbergh Sports Centre that has been requested by Sedbergh School Foundation be approved in principle subject to receipt of evidence at the end of the 2018/19 school year to demonstrate satisfactory community use of the facility.
44/18 OPPORTUNITIES FUND PROPOSAL: ELECTRIC CAR CHARGING POINTS
CONSIDERED – the report of the Head of Access and Engagement.
RESOLVED –
To agree in principle to the allocation of up to £16k from the Opportunities Fund as the Authority’s contribution towards the installation of three electric car charging points, one each at Grassington, Aysgarth Falls and Hawes car parks.
45/18 SHORT-TERM FUNDING OF NATURAL FLOOD MANAGEMENT WORK BY THE LUNE RIVERS TRUST
CONSIDERED – the report of the Director of Corporate Services.
RESOLVED –
That the provision of short-term loans (up to a maximum total sum of £160k outstanding at any one time) to the Lune Rivers Trust be approved. This provision should be subject to the Treasurer’s conclusion at the time of making these loans that the Authority holds sufficient working capital (cash) to support lending at this level.
FR11sep18Item01 31jul18pubmins 3 of 43
4 of 43 YORKSHIRE DALES NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY ITEM 6
Committee: FINANCE AND RESOURCES Date: 11 September 2018
Report: DISPOSAL OF LAND AT AYSGARTH FALLS
Purpose of the report
1. To allow Members to consider a request from the owner of Aysgarth Falls Railway Station to purchase a piece of land in the Authority’s ownership.
RECOMMENDATION
2. That Members agree in principle the sale or lease of a piece of Authority land at Aysgarth Falls and authorise the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Chair of the F&R Committee, to finalise the financial arrangements.
Strategic Planning Framework
3. The information and recommendation contained in this report are consistent with the Authority’s statutory purposes: in particular Corporate Plan action 24 –Plan and manage all aspects of the National Park Authority’s business to make the most effective use of our resources.
Background
4. The Authority was recently contacted by Mr David Smith, the new owner of Aysgarth Railway Station. Mr Smith is the Chairman of the West Coast Railway Company, the largest mainline steam and diesel tour operator in the UK. Mr Smith intends to restore the station to as close to its original condition as is practicable. This is a private interest and unconnected with his business.
5. In order to achieve this objective Mr Smith would like to buy sections of the former track bed immediately adjacent to the eastern and western boundaries of the station. These are known as ‘station throats’ where multiple tracks merge into a single line. The acquisition of these parcels of land would allow the periodic movement of stock on the station site. Initially Mr Smith was looking at either purchase or lease but he has now firmed up his request for outright purchase, though that does not prevent the Authority from deciding that a long term lease may be a better option
6. Mr Smith has stated that although the acquisition of Aysgarth Station is an initiative for personal enjoyment he is sympathetic to the long term plans of Wensleydale Railway
5 of 43 plc, the body who own a large part of the former Wensleydale Railway line and who have long term objectives for the reinstatement of the line between Northallerton and Garsdale.
The land in National Park Authority ownership
7. The land in the Authority’s ownership is at the western end of the Station and is some 100 metres in length. Appendix A is a sketch of the site and the land in question.
8. Members of the F&R Committee had a site visit to the see for themselves the proposals ‘on the ground’ and to have the opportunity to speak to Mr Smith and a representative from Wensleydale Railway plc.
9. The land in question sits on the top of a railway embankment and is not part of the Freeholders Wood Site of Special Scientific Interest. It is not a formal right of way nor is it access land. We currently have responsibility for the maintenance of the embankment, primarily dealing with the plethora of rabbits.
10. There has been little management of the woodland running up the embankment and a few trees now encroach along the track bed. Some of these trees would have to be selectively removed as part of any proposal. This work would be carried out in consultation with the Authority’s Trees and Woodland Team. The embankment itself has seen a strong re-growth of birch, willow, ash and sycamore and the area is partly covered by a Tree Preservation Order. Most of the multi-stemmed sycamores were thinned in 1985 to allow the best specimens to develop and for the underplanting of more trees and shrubs to develop, ensuring better tree cover and thereby deterring access to the unstable slope.
11. There is considered to be little or no value in the embankment being owned by the Authority, indeed it takes up resources for the minor work we do. However, a greater concern would be how any future operations might impinge on the management of the Aysgarth Falls site. Members will have seen that the embankment runs alongside our car park and Visitor Centre.
12. At the site visit Mr Smith was asked about how often this new piece of land would be used for shunting. He suggested this would be no more than 30-40 times per year. The question was also asked as to whether the new track would be used for storage purposes. It was confirmed it would not and that all stock would be held within the confines of the station.
13. Fencing on the site is currently very ‘discrete’ and in a poor state of repair. Any new fencing, whilst meeting security considerations, would have to be in keeping with the ambience of the site and Mr Smith has made clear he would meet any security/insurance costs.
14. Of course, the re-appearance of trains at the Aysgarth site is likely to be of significant public interest and a further reason for visitors to come to the Park/Site. Mr Smith has stated he would be happy to work with the Authority on any interpretation and has even
6 of 43 suggested public curiosity might be served by putting in a footpath running alongside the newly installed track to allow the public to view the area.
Sell or lease
15. Mr Smith has confirmed that ideally he would wish to purchase the parcel of land. There are pros and cons with both a purchase and a leasing arrangement. Generally the benefit of a sale is that all responsibilities and liabilities for managing and maintaining the plot of land would transfer across to Mr Smith. If there were future’ issues’ we wanted to deal with, they would have to form part of any condition of sale.
16. The primary benefit of a lease is that it keeps the land under Authority control until we were able to gauge the day to day impact of the operation on the Aysgarth Falls site. Only if we were happy with the arrangements would we then proceed to an outright sale. If we did pursue this course of action we would need to ensure that the lease were of such a length as to give confidence to Mr Smith to undertake the significant capital investment that he has planned for the whole site.
The views of Wensleydale Railway plc
17. The views of the above body are important because, as mentioned previously, they have an ambition to reinstate the whole line between Northallerton and Garsdale; an ambition which is reflected in the Authority’s current Management Plan and Local Plan. At the site visit, Members had the opportunity to speak to Mr Davies, the representative from the company. Members heard that the company was sympathetic to Mr Smith’s proposals. Following the site visit, further discussions with the company have taken place and they have since submitted a formal response confirming their support. See Appendix B.
Legal and Financial Implications
18. The legal and financial implications are largely governed by whether the Authority decides to sell or lease the land. A disposal of land, otherwise than by way of a short tenancy (a term not exceeding 7 years) means ‘best consideration’ must apply. This simply means the Authority has to obtain the best deal it can for the public purse.
19. If the Authority decides we want to sell for other than best consideration, financial regulations 14.7 and 14.8 apply. In practical terms this means obtaining a valuation setting out the realistic value of the difference between open market value and the price offered and, if there is a difference, obtaining the relevant approvals which includes reporting to the Authority.
7 of 43 Conclusion
20. The Authority has the opportunity to dispose of a plot of land that has little value in delivering it’s objectives. Indeed it is a liability. However, that sale may have an impact on the operation of one of our most popular sites – Aysgarth Falls. Due consideration has therefore to be given as to whether a sale or lease is the most appropriate mechanism. This will determine the most appropriate arrangements.
David Butterworth Chief Executive
29 August 2018 Background documents: None
8 of 43 APPENDIX A
9 of 43 APPENDIX B
10 of 43 11 of 43
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YORKSHIRE DALES NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY ITEM 7
Committee: FINANCE AND RESOURCES Date: 11 September 2018
Report: OPPORTUNITIES FUND PROPOSAL: TOUR DE YORKSHIRE 2019
Purpose of the report
1. To request an allocation from the Opportunities Fund towards the cost of funding a bid to host a stage of the 2019 Tour de Yorkshire cycle event.
RECOMMENDATION
2. That Members agree the allocation of up to £50k from the Opportunities Fund as the Authority’s contribution towards a partnership bid with Craven District Council for funding a stage of the 2019 edition of the Tour de Yorkshire.
Strategic Planning Framework
3. The information and recommendation contained in this report are consistent with the Authority’s statutory purposes:
National Park Management Plan. Promote and encourage responsible cycling by supporting world class cycling events that showcase the National Park.
Corporate Plan. Action 10 – Work with organisers of large scale events to ensure they are well run and provide benefits for local communities and businesses. Action 21 – Improve the quality, variety and marketing of the tourism ‘offer’ based on the local distinctiveness within the National Park to increase the number of overnight visitors and increase the value of tourism by 20%, in real terms, by 2020.
Background
4. The Tour de Yorkshire annual cycle race, itself a legacy of the 2014 Tour de France Grand Depart, is now recognised as one of the pre-eminent cycle races in Europe.
5. The event has continued to grow in terms of size, stature and the economic benefits it brings to the region since it was first introduced in 2015.
6. The reasons for suggesting the Authority should be involved in such an event are twofold. Firstly, such a world class event meets the aspirations within the Authority’s second statutory purpose – to promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of the area by the public. Secondly, in pursuing this purpose we have the opportunity to foster the economic and social well being of local communities. In relation to this second point it is important to recognise that, although
13 of 43 funding for the event comes principally from public bodies, the economic benefits do not come back directly to that body but are shared among the businesses and communities who choose to get involved.
Impact of the event – Coverage
7. The most recent edition of the race took place over four days in early May 2018. Day four saw the competitors passing directly through the National Park, travelling through Wharfedale and on up to Coverdale before leaving the Park at its north east corner. In addition the market town of Richmond hosted one of the race starts. The ‘coverage’ statistics are: • An estimated 2.6m spectators lined the route over the four days. • 79% of spectators were from Yorkshire with 21% from elsewhere in the UK or abroad. • The race was televised to 190 Countries and watched by a global audience of 12.5 million. • 40 Global Broadcasters covered the action – up from 34 in 2017. • 1270 hours of TV coverage worldwide. • 20 hours of live broadcast on ITV. • The race passed through 120 towns and villages. • 265,000 fans on social media. • 1.1 million on-line views of the event.
Impact of the event - Economic
8. Research on the impact of the tour was carried out by an independent company in conjunction with Leeds Beckett University. This concluded that:
• The value to the Yorkshire economy was £98m. Up from £63.5m in 2017. • Accommodation spend increased by 49% on the previous year; up to £41.2m • Non accommodation spend (food, drink, souvenirs etc…) increased by 58% - to £56.8m.
Financial Implications
9. The costs of hosting a start/finish of the event are significant. The start fee itself is £100k and then there are the costs of managing the event, which for Richmondshire District Council in 2018 totalled approximately £215k. We are being asked for a contribution by Craven District Council towards these costs, of £50k, on the basis that Skipton provides the ‘start’ but a significant proportion of the race then passes through the National Park.
10. The route is to be determined by the organisers at a later date but we would be particularly keen to showcase an area of the Park that has not been covered in previous events. The Skipton start suggests that the 3 Peaks Area, one of the most
14 of 43 iconic parts of the National Park, could be part of the route and it is somewhat surprising that this area has not featured previously. It provides a particularly stunning backdrop that would showcase the Park.
11. In the longer term there is an ambition to feature the new area of the Park but this is very much dependant on successful discussions with Eden District Council, South Lakeland District Council and Cumbria County Council.
Conclusion
12. The Tour de Yorkshire in now recognised as a major international sporting event and the Yorkshire Dales has a developing reputation for ‘hosting’ the event, therein creating world-wide exposure of the National Park and supporting the delivery of many of our objectives. The 2019 event provides an opportunity to collaborate with one of our constituent local authorities to build on the widespread coverage and economic benefits provided by the event.
David Butterworth Chief Executive
29 August 2018 Background documents: None
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16 of 43
YORKSHIRE DALES NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY ITEM 8
Committee FINANCE AND RESOURCES Date: 11 September 2018
Report: SHORT-TERM FUNDING OF THE WORK OF THE YORKSHIRE PEAT PARTNERSHIP: WINTER 2018
Purpose of the report
1. To seek approval for the Authority to make a further series of short-term loans to the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (YWT) for the purpose of funding peatland restoration works.
Recommendation
2. That Members approve the provision of short-term loans (up to a maximum total sum of £400k outstanding at any one time) to the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. This is for the purpose of funding peatland restoration works carried out by contractors before the end of March 2019. This provision should be subject to the Treasurer’s conclusion at the time of making these loans that the Authority holds sufficient working capital (cash) to support lending at this level.
Strategic Planning Framework
3. The information and recommendation contained in this report are consistent with the Authority’s statutory purposes and specifically Corporate Plan objective 14, ‘Support farmers and landowners to get 85% of the area covered by priority habitats into ‘good condition’ by 2016, and then maintain at least that level’.
4. Subject to Members approving the loans as proposed, the following action will be added to the 2018/19 Action Plan: ‘Provide up to £400,000 of loans to the Yorkshire Peat Partnership to restore natural drainage across 181ha of heavily degraded peatland’.
Background
5. The Yorkshire Peat Partnership exists to undertake peatland restoration works across North Yorkshire, including across large swathes of the National Park. Peatland habitats are internationally rare but are found across many hill areas of the Park, with their origin in extensive blanket bogs. Most of these areas are internationally-designated wildlife sites.
6. Over the years, peatlands have become heavily degraded, a process that was rapidly accelerated by moorland drainage programmes (‘gripping’) from the 1970s onwards, paid for by central government funding. Gripping led to a lowering of the surface water table, and consequent drying out of the peat bogs. This in turn has led to much destruction of peat, either thorough oxidation or erosion.
17 of 43
7. As well as the negative impact on the landscape (including the visual impact of heavily eroded features) other negative effects include: • Speed of water run-off. The combination of gripping (drainage channels), bare rocky surfaces and no peat bog ‘sponge’ effect means that run off from the fells is now much faster than it was. This contributes to an increased frequency and magnitude of flooding events, including those downstream of the Park (e.g. York, Lancaster, Carlisle), as well as to deterioration in river water quality (which now contains more organic material). • Loss of biodiversity. In extreme cases, all of the peat and any soils have been destroyed. The rich habitat and associated biodiversity of peat bogs is lost. • Peat bogs (and resultant peat deposits) represent carbon sinks and stores: eroding peat has a huge carbon emissions footprint, whereas peat bogs in good condition can accumulate and store very significant amounts of carbon.
8. The Authority, together with the Environment Agency, Yorkshire Water, Natural England and the YWT, are the core funding members of the Yorkshire Peat Partnership, with the Trust coordinating the practical works on the ground. The money for peatland restoration capital works comes from several sources including Natural England (NE) through the Higher Level Scheme (HLS) and now Countryside Stewardship (CS), various Environment Agency (EA) grant schemes, the EU LIFE fund and Yorkshire Water (YWS). HLS and CS rules require the works to have been completed and paid for before the money can be reimbursed. But because of significant cost of peatland restoration, landowners are – unsurprisingly - reluctant or unable to pay that up front. This problem is exacerbated where the sites are Commons in multiple ownership, meaning that the agreement arrangements (including up-front funding) are complex to pull together.
9. To solve this problem the Authority has, since 2011, provided short term bridging loans to enable the Trust to pay for the required works, those loans then being repaid once the matching payments had been received from NE. This has allowed the Partnership to access funding from NE allocated for such activity but which would otherwise have been lost, thereby delivering a very major conservation benefit whilst at the same time supporting local landowners and contractors.
10. The loan facility offered to the YWT has varied between £442k and £453k in each of the six years from 2011/12 to 2016/17. Works have been organised so that a number of projects were slotted into each winter season: as one project was finished, another project started (each paid for by a loan, which was then repaid and then lent again). Without the total outstanding loan ever exceeding the agreed facility, the total value of the projects enabled by this mechanism is substantially in excess of the amount made available.
11. We had expected to continue this series of loans into 2017/18 (and, last year, had set an action to do so). Unfortunately, changes in the rules governing CS compared to HLS meant that the necessary funding was not confirmed by NE. However, the Trust has now managed to secure a 3 year Peatland Restoration grant from Defra with a total value of £4.5m to be spent across the North of England, with £1.1m to be spent in the Yorkshire Dales albeit with the same reimbursement / payment arrangements as for previous grants.
12. The loans are made throughout the winter season, when landowners are prepared to give access to the moorland and when the impact of the work on the natural environment
18 of 43 is likely to be at it’s lowest (for example, the effect on ground nesting birds). Appendix 1 shows how much restoration has been achieved by the Yorkshire Peat Partnership with the assistance of YDNPA loans: a total of 13,286 hectares up until March 2018.
Winter 2018
13. Our support for the Yorkshire Peat Partnership is now one component within the over- arching ‘Land Management and Biodiversity’ programme, one of the Authority’s priorities. As well as being a ‘flagship’ conservation project, it is an important source of income for the local contractors that carry out the work. The proposal for the coming winter is to repeat the process operated in previous years, offering the YWT loans of up to a maximum of £400k outstanding at any one time.
14. There are no unresolved issues about the legality of such an arrangement, and the template for the necessary contracts is already in place. The particular issues for Members to be aware of are cost and risk.
15. Although the sums of money involved are large, the direct cost to the Authority would be small; other than some staff time in administering the process, this would be just under £2k in lost bank interest, based on the anticipated profile of the loans and the interest rate we are currently achieving on our cash deposits.
16. The risk associated with the loans is, in general terms, unchanged from previous years (other than the confidence that can be gained from the previous arrangements having been proven to work). Nonetheless, there is still a risk of YWT being unable to repay the loans.
17. Officers will seek to minimise this repayment risk by monitoring the financial status of YWT before any loans are paid out, and to continue monitoring during the term of such loans. As in previous years, a formal loan agreement will be put in place before any loans are made, and this will include the time-table for the various component loans (and their repayment) designed to match the work planned for the coming winter.
18. However, the proposed loan facility shouldn’t be seen in isolation. At the 31 May meeting of this committee, Members agreed a similar loan arrangement, this time with the Lune Rivers Trust (LRT), and requested that, should other loan arrangement be proposed subsequently, these be considered in the light of the LRT loan arrangements.
19. Appendix 2 gives the expenditure and loan profiles on the agreed loans to the LRT, and for the proposed loans to YWT. This shows that the maximum loan exposure to both the agreed and proposed loans in the current year (2018/19, at Quarter 4) would be £440k, though this would then rise to £500k in Quarter 1 of 2019/20, based on the agreed loans to the LRT and the proposed 2018/19 loans to the YWT.
20. Beyond 2019/20, the maximum total loans outstanding would be £478k in 2020/21, assuming the Authority continued to lend to YWT. However, it is not proposed at this stage that Members agree to a full three year programme of loans to YWT, but rather that such loans for 2018/19 be agreed as shown in Appendix 2 (so to a maximum of £400k), and that loans in subsequent years are agreed by this Committee on an annual basis. Whilst at this point in time the Authority is likely to be supportive of loans to YWT throughout the three year project, making an actual commitment on an annual basis would be sensible, given current longer-term uncertainties now within the economy.
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21. Were the worst to happen, and the YWT were unable to repay the proposed loan and at a point in time when the value of the loan was at its greatest, then the Authority would need to cover the loss through its Reserves. At the time of writing this report, the value of the Authority’s General Reserves, excluding known likely commitments (including known grant bids) stood at £706k. Reserves are therefore sufficient to cover this particular risk, albeit that their use in this way would have significant consequences for resourcing future spending as yet unidentified, including the provision of match funding for future grant bids.
22. The maximum proposed loan equates to around 15% of the typical average cash balance in the Authority’s bank account (which is itself made up of Defra grant drawn down ahead of it being spent), so there is unlikely to be a cash flow issue. Nonetheless, officers will monitor the Authority’s working capital position to ensure that no cash flow problems arise from the proposed arrangement.
23. Should the level of risks (including the financial standing of YWT) change significantly at any time between the date of this report and any proposed loan being made, the matter will be brought back to Members before any such loans are made.
24. Whilst it is clearly important to identify the risks associated with the proposed loans and for this committee to take those risks into account in reaching a decision, it is equally important to consider the potential benefits. The YWT intends that works will start in late October this year, delivering up to a further 181 hectares of restored peatland across the project area, and accessing over £660k of Defra grant, much of which is likely to be spent with local contractors. The table below shows the sites within the National Park that will be targeted in the 2018/19 and 2019/20 winter seasons. The area to be restored covers all three years as different activities are carried out in each year (e.g. grips and gullies will be blocked in 2018/19; introduction of Sphagnum and cotton-grasses in 2019/20).
Site Expenditure Expenditure Expenditure Area to be (£) (£) (£) restored Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 (ha) (2018/19) (2019/20) (2020/21) Fleet Moss (Semerwater catchment) 134,115 320,229 54,798 100 Oughtershaw (Upper Langstrothdale) 80,769 0 20,320 16 Shaking Moss (Garsdale / Dentdale 48,978 160 160 8 watershed) Grimwith Moor (Hebden) 398,394 48086 160 58 Sub Total 662,256 368,475 75,438 182
Conclusion
25. Whilst the sums of money involved are clearly significant, the potential benefits for the National Park are large and the likely direct cost to the Authority low. By giving advance approval for loans now, the YWT will be able to plan a restoration programme that brings the maximum additional environmental and economic benefits to the Park.
Richard Burnett Director of Corporate Services
22 August 2018
20 of 43 APPENDIX 1
Restorations achieved since 2011 with the assistance of YDNPA Area (hectares) East Arkengarthdale 1,500 Mossdale, Wensleydale 1,700 Grimwith, Wharfedale 603 Hardcastle Moor, Wharfedale 400 Stags Fell, Wensleydale 1,008 West Arkengarthdale 3,189 Clapham Common, Ingleborough 340 Kelber, Wharfedale 46 Barden Fell 599 Hazlewood & Storiths 490 Cragdale, Semerwater catchment 428 Stags Fell Preserves, Wensleydale 108 Fawcett Moor, Pen-y-ghent 238 Oughtershaw Moss, Langstrothdale 90 Cragdale, Wensleydale 406 Thoralby Common & Gayle Ing, Bishopdale 257 Coverhead, Coverdale 626 Fawcett Moor, Littondale 233 Fleet Moss, Semerwater catchment 364 Raydale, Semerwater catchment 560 Tenant Gill, Fountains Fell 101 Total 13,286
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Expenditure and lending profiles, Lune Rivers Trust (LRT) & Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (YWT) loans APPENDIX 2
2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 Project expenditure profiles LRT 10 20 20 80 80 60 50 70 70 40 40 YWT 111 546 231 137 75 Expected loan profiles LRT 10 30 40 100 160 140 110 120 140 110 80 40 YWT 111 400 400 231 368 137 75 75 Total loan exposure 10 141 440 500 160 371 478 257 140 185 155 40
Notes:
(i) The loan profile is based on the assumption that works will be funded by a loan in the quarter in which they occur, but that repayment of that money won’t take place until (up to) the end of the next quarter. Each component loan is therefore modelled here as outstanding for up to 6 months, which explains the final outstanding sum (£40k) in Q1 of 2021/22, after all activity has otherwise ceased in Q4 of 2020/21.
(ii) The maximum loan already agreed for the LRT is £160k; the maximum loan proposed for the YWT is £400k, which explains why the full amount of the potential expenditure by the YWT in Q4 of 2018/19 is not fully covered by the proposed loans.
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YORKSHIRE DALES NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY ITEM 9
Committee: FINANCE AND RESOURCES Date: 11 September 2018
Report: FINANCIAL PROGRESS REPORT - THREE MONTHS TO 30 JUNE 2018
Purpose of the Report
1. To provide Members with information on the financial performance of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (‘the Authority’) for the three month period from 1 April to 30 June 2018.
Recommendation
2. Members are asked to note the report.
Strategic Planning Framework
3. The information and recommendation contained in this report are consistent with the Authority’s statutory purposes and its approved strategic planning framework, and in particular its objective ‘to plan and manage all aspects of the National Park Authority’s business to make the most effective use of our resources and develop our capacity for income generation to maintain annual income at £6.8m’ (Corporate Plan, Objective 24).
4. This report provides the quarterly update to Members as required by Financial Regulations.
Introduction
5. Detailed information on financial performance in the three months to 30 June 2018 is contained in Appendices 1 & 2.
6. Appendix 1 provides a detailed picture of performance by Programme, followed by Corporate Employment Costs and Central Costs.
7. Appendix 2 provides information on:
a. Opportunity Fund Allocations; the balance as at 30 June 2018 was £92k.
b. Virements and budget movements in the period. This table lists movements between budget headings as well as any additions to budget, usually deriving from additional external funding. The total value of these changes (£591k) includes £550k of carry forward budgets (from 2017/18) agreed by this Committee on 22 May 2018, and 1
23 of 43 £41k net of additional expenditure for 2018/19 which didn’t form part of the original 2018/19 ‘start’ budget; [The components of this £41k are listed in detail in the bottom five sections of Appendix 2 (‘Cost Savings’; ‘Additional Funding / Income’; ‘Corrections’; ‘B4RN Loans’; ‘Transfers from Reserves’), together with the movement in the ‘Opportunities Fund’ table.]
Performance during the quarter ended 30 June 2018
8. The budget for 2018/19 is broadly on track, and it is considered that there are no significant issues, either in terms of income or expenditure, that might require urgent remedial action.
9. Nonetheless, as can be seen from the ‘Net Expenditure’ and ‘External Income’ sections, below, the financial position for the first quarter was not in line with the Budget profile. The chief cause of this was income expected from last year (2017/18) which hadn’t been received by 30 June. This is a timing difference (that income is still anticipated) so the quarterly ‘actual’ figures should more closely match the budget in the September edition of this quarterly report (subject to any additional variances arising in that quarter).
10. Net Expenditure
Cumulative Net Expenditure 2018/19 £'000 (Excluding DEFRA Grant) 6,000 5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 0 Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Actual 484 946 1,447 Budget 375 782 1,290 1,708 2,028 2,524 3,013 3,395 3,862 4,380 4,838 5,649
10.1. Cumulative net expenditure at 30 June 2018 was £1,447k against a budget of £1,290k, a net negative variance against the budget for the year to date of £157k; this latter figure compares to a favourable variance of £70k for the same period in the previous year. The variance is a combination of:
a. A net overspend on Programmes of £117k caused by a combination of variances, the main ones being employee costs (paragraph 11) and income due which had not been received (a timing issue; more details are included at paragraph 13).
b. A temporary overspend within Central Costs of £40k (paragraph 12)
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24 of 43 11. Employee Costs £48k underspend
11.1. This net underspend is the product of ongoing or temporary vacancies and later-than- projected recruitments. The Budget includes an expectation of some savings caused by vacancies (‘the vacancy factor’), set at £38k for the full year; at first glance, it appears that we’ve already more than met this expectation. However, there are likely to be additional costs, where some activity that had been expected to be completed by employees will now be undertaken by consultants, and which should lead to a decrease in the eventual net underspend. We will monitor this situation, and adjust the budget if a more substantial net underspend is likely.
Cumulative Salary and Travel Expense Costs 2018/19 £'000 Budget Versus Actual 5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 0 Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Actual 330 660 1,018 Budget 355 711 1,066 1,422 1,778 2,133 2,488 2,844 3,199 3,555 3,910 4,265
12. Central Costs £40k overspend
12.1. The main components of this variance are timing-related, where we had assumed in the Budget profile that certain items of expenditure would happen later in the year than they have (IT software licenses, £20k; subscriptions and insurance, £19k). This variance is temporary, and should balance out within the year.
13. Programme Costs – Net Variances
13.1. Variances are shown net (i.e. they include income). More explanation of income results is included in paragraphs 14 -18. Detailed explanations of individual programme variances of more than £10k follow this table.
Annual YTD YTD YTD Favourable Programme Budget Budget Actual Variance /Adverse Development Management 495 111 89 22 F Land Management-Biodiversity 583 166 167 (1) A Rights of Way 639 209 328 (119) A Access For All 191 51 44 7 F Dales Countryside Museum 150 47 76 (30) A Historic Environment 167 47 44 3 F
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25 of 43 Annual YTD YTD YTD Favourable Programme Budget Budget Actual Variance /Adverse Development Planning 111 (22) (22) 0 F Landscape Features 180 3 33 (30) A Volunteers & Apprentices 330 76 64 13 F Tourism 183 56 34 22 F National Park Centres 322 81 76 5 F Car Parks-Toilets (169) (96) (100) 3 F Sustainable Development 313 15 39 (24) A Visitor Management 130 37 26 11 F Total Variance on Programmes 3625 782 898 (117) A
Priority Programmes
13.2. Development Management. £22k underspend due to vacancies.
13.3. Rights of Way. £119k overspend. This reflects the current net financial position on the National Pennine Trails project, comprising some grant claims which have yet to be paid out (by the Authority, as programme manager) and a larger sum for grant claims that have yet to be recovered from Natural England; this is a timing issue.
Adequate Programmes
13.4. Dales Countryside Museum. £30k overspend. A combination of grant income due but not yet received for 2017/18 of £47k (a timing issue), less underspends on maintenance and contractors costs of £17k.
13.5. Landscape Features. £30k overspend. HLF & YDMT Grants relating to 2017/18, due but not received at 30 June; this is a timing issue.
13.6. Volunteers & Apprentices. £13k underspend. This related to a gap in recruiting of apprentices in the Ranger Service (£11k), underspends against budget in the volunteers and ranger services (£6k), and income not received (relating to the gap in apprentices above) (£6k).
13.7. Tourism. £22k underspend. A combination of underspends on salaries (£9k), the Visitor Economy project (£9k) and Sustainable Tourism (£5k).
Limited Programmes
13.8. Sustainable Development. £24k overspend. Some grant claims have been submitted earlier than had been predicted; this variance will disappear later in the year.
13.9. Visitor Management £11k net underspend, actually caused by £14k of additional and unbudgeted income from North Yorkshire County Council for maintenance works on unsurfaced roads.
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14. External Income
£'000 Cumulative External Income 2018/19 2,700 Budget Versus Actual 2,400 2,100 1,800 1,500 1,200 900 600 300 0 Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Actual -245 -27 152 Budget 222 351 506 636 825 987 1,108 1,204 1,444 1,526 1,619 2,187
14.1. ‘External Income’ comprises all income, whether grants or ‘earned’ income, received by the Authority other than the National Park Grant from Defra.
14.2. Total external income for the quarter to 30 June 2018 was £152k, £364k below the budget projection of £506k. Although this would appear to be a poor result, the true position will be somewhat different, once all of the anticipated grant income due has been received and accounted for, particularly given that additional (unbudgeted) income had been received. Indeed, had all the anticipated income been received as profiled by 30 June, total External Income would have been £560k: significantly more than the £152k recorded, and ahead of the budgeted target (at £506k).
14.3. The explanations for variances of over £10k are as follows:
Additional Income • Retail +£21k; see paragraph 18.1 • Carparks +£29k; see paragraph 17.1 • Visitor Management +£14k; see paragraph 13.9
Behind budgeted Income • Land Management -£28k. 2017/18 grant income still to be received: Lunesdale Facilitation Fund £7k, Payments by Results £6k, Trees & Woodlands £10k, YDMT and WMP £2k, Farming Facilitation £3k. • Rights of Way -£301. 2017/18 grant income still to be received: Natural England £176k, Swale Trail £112k, YDMT Ribblesdale £24k, offset by £11k of additional income not budgeted for. • Dales Countryside Museum -£47k; see paragraph 13.4 • Landscape Features -£30k; Grant income still to be received for Every Barn Tells a Story project (YDMT £24k & HLF £6k).
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15. DCM Admissions Income
15.1. Admissions income was £1k above target.
£'000 DCM Admissions 2018/19 Budget Versus Actual 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Actual 3 5 13 Budget 4 7 12 17 24 30 35 37 38 40 40 42
16. Development Management Income
16.1. Total Income for Planning fees and related charges was £68k against a budget of £67k.
Development Management Income 2018/19 £'000 Budget Versus Actual 300
250
200
150
100
50
0 Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Actual 18 47 68 Budget 22 45 67 90 112 134 157 179 202 224 247 269
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28 of 43 17. Car Park Income
17.1. Car Park income was ahead of target by £29k.
Car Park Income 2018/19 £'000 Budget Versus Actual 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Actual 66 136 207 Budget 63 123 178 238 320 375 424 446 465 487 509 551
18. Retail Income
18.1. Gross income was ahead of budget by £21k. This translates into approximately £13k of additional profit, after deducting the cost of the goods sold.
Retail Income 2018/19 £'000 Budget Versus Actual 250 200 150 100 50 0 Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar YTD Actual 26 54 102 YTD Budget 23 48 81 111 150 189 216 221 231 233 240 250 Month Actual 26 28 48 ------Month Budget 23 25 34 30 39 39 27 5 10 1 8 10
19. Delegations
19.1. In line with the Authority’s Financial Regulations, certain procurement-related decisions are reported to this Committee; this is a requirement whenever one of the permitted exceptions to the standard procedure for awarding a contract is invoked. Three such delegations were agreed during the period from 1 April 2018 to 30 June 2018:
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29 of 43 Description Approved Date Waders Survey. A single quote was sought from British Trust Director of 19/04/18 Ornithology (BTO) for a Park-wide survey of wader populations. BTO Corporate have already developed (and own) a significant dataset on breeding Services waders in enclosed upland fields, which is central to this project. They are the leading body in the UK for collecting, analysing and interpreting data on birds. Contract value £6,542. Extension to Grassington National Park Centre. Five quotations Director of 19/04/18 were received ranging from £24.7k to £61.6k. The quotation evaluation Corporate was based 60% on quality and 40% on price. As the lowest priced Services quote (24.7k) did not meet the minimum quality score, the next cheapest quote was accepted; the quote from Harrison & Sons Ltd, at £45.4k was accepted. Note that this is a provisional contract. A price for the planned works was needed as part of the bid to LEADER for funding for the project; at the date of writing this report, that funding had not yet been confirmed. National Parks Conference 2019. Authorisation to agree Director of 10/05/18 accommodation arrangements with the Coniston Hotel, Coniston Cold. Corporate No other facilities have been identified within or immediately adjacent to Services the Park that have the capacity to cater for the number of delegates expected to attend the conference. The Coniston Hotel offers the appropriate rural setting, views into the National Park, proximity for field trips, and also provides an arrangement with the Holiday Inn at Skipton for additional accommodation capacity if required. Value of contract to be determined, but with a current indicative price range of £26k to £30k; note that the majority of this cost will be reimbursed by delegates from other NPAs.
20. Other Matters
20.1 The Authority received a donation of materials from Hanson Aggregates during the period of this report; this comprised 150 tonnes of unprocessed stone, to be used for stone pitching on footpaths on Whernside. This donation contributes to our current ‘Pitch in for Whernside’ campaign, being run in conjunction with the British Mountaineering Council, and we calculated a financial value for the stone of £4k.
20.2. As this donation was from a commercial source with operational interests within the National Park, officers followed the process set out in the Authority’s Financial Regulations governing Gifts, Loans and Sponsorship. These Regulations state that where the value of such a potential donation exceeds £5k, the decision as to whether to accept the offer will be referred to this Committee, with the decision on lower value donations delegated to officers. In this instance, officers determined that there was no risk of a conflict of interest; Financial Regulation 19.2.3 requires that such officer-made decisions are reported to this Committee.
Michelle Clyde Head of Finance
24/08/18
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30 of 43 1 APRIL 2018 To 30 JUN 2018 Appendix 1
QUARTER 1 - MONTH 3 2018/19 QUARTER 1 - MONTH 3 2018/19 REVISED YEAR TO YEAR TO YEAR TO REMAINING ANNUAL DATE DATE DATE BUDGET BUDGET BUDGET ACTUAL VARIANCE Programme Bids £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 Priority Programmes Staff Costs 668.1 167.0 142.7 24.3 525.4 Programme Costs 95.7 11.0 14.7 (3.7) 81.0 Income (269.0) (67.2) (68.5) 1.2 (200.5) Development Management Total 494.8 110.8 88.9 21.9 405.9
Staff Costs 542.3 135.6 137.2 (1.6) 405.1 Programme Costs 207.6 45.7 17.7 28.1 189.9 Income (166.4) (15.7) 12.3 (27.9) (178.7) Land Management-Biodiversity Total 583.5 165.7 167.2 (1.5) 416.3
Staff Costs 448.2 112.1 103.7 8.5 344.5 Programme Costs 667.2 134.9 (38.5) 173.4 705.7 Income (476.4) (37.8) 262.9 (300.7) (739.3) Rights of Way Total 639.0 209.3 328.1 (118.8) 310.9
Staff Costs 131.5 32.9 33.5 (0.6) 98.0 Programme Costs 95.0 21.3 10.3 10.9 84.7 Income (35.4) (2.7) 0.5 (3.2) (35.9) Access For All Total 191.1 51.4 44.3 7.1 146.8
Total Priority Gross Costs 2,855.6 660.5 421.2 239.3 2,434.4 Total Priority Income (947.2) (123.4) 207.2 (330.6) (1,154.4) Total Priority Net Cost 1,908.4 537.1 628.4 (91.3) 1,279.9 Adequate Programmes Staff Costs 85.3 21.3 19.8 1.5 65.5 Programme Costs 137.1 44.7 26.6 18.1 110.5 Income (72.6) (19.1) 29.9 (49.1) (102.6) Dales Countryside Museum Total 149.8 46.9 76.4 (29.5) 73.4
Staff Costs 133.9 33.5 34.1 (0.6) 99.8 Programme Costs 59.2 15.8 2.6 13.2 56.6 Income (26.5) (2.4) 6.9 (9.3) (33.4) Historic Environment Total 166.6 46.9 43.6 3.3 123.0
Staff Costs 85.4 21.4 22.9 (1.5) 62.5 Programme Costs 106.1 7.3 5.5 1.7 100.6 Income (80.1) (50.1) (50.1) 0.0 (30.0) Development Planning Total 111.4 (21.5) (21.7) 0.2 133.1
Staff Costs 0.0 0.0 2.5 (2.5) (2.5) Programme Costs 233.7 3.5 0.7 2.8 233.0 Income (53.5) 0.0 29.8 (29.8) (83.3) Landscape Features Total 180.3 3.5 33.0 (29.6) 147.2
Staff Costs 272.1 68.0 57.4 10.6 214.7 Programme Costs 104.6 20.0 11.5 8.4 93.0 Income (46.4) (11.6) (5.1) (6.5) (41.2) Volunteers & Apprentices Total 330.3 76.4 63.8 12.6 266.5
Staff Costs 145.2 36.3 26.9 9.4 118.3 Programme Costs 87.9 19.4 6.5 12.9 81.4 Income (50.1) 0.0 0.3 (0.3) (50.3) Tourism Total 183.0 55.7 33.7 22.0 149.3
Total Adequate Gross Costs 1,450.6 291.1 217.1 74.0 1,233.5 Total Adequate Income (329.1) (83.2) 11.7 (94.9) (340.8) Total Adequate Net Cost 1,121.4 207.9 228.8 (20.9) 892.6 Limited Programmes Staff Costs 252.3 63.1 62.4 0.7 189.9 Programme Costs 331.1 101.9 117.1 (15.2) 214.0 Income (261.5) (84.1) (103.5) 19.4 (158.0) National Park Centres Total 321.9 80.8 76.0 4.9 245.9
31 of 43 1 APRIL 2018 To 30 JUN 2018 Appendix 1
QUARTER 1 - MONTH 3 2018/19 QUARTER 1 - MONTH 3 2018/19 REVISED YEAR TO YEAR TO YEAR TO REMAINING ANNUAL DATE DATE DATE BUDGET BUDGET BUDGET ACTUAL VARIANCE Programme Bids £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 Staff Costs 69.6 17.4 19.5 (2.1) 50.1 Programme Costs 330.1 68.6 92.2 (23.6) 237.9 Income (568.8) (182.3) (211.4) 29.1 (357.3) Car Parks-Toilets Total (169.1) (96.3) (99.7) 3.5 (69.4)
Staff Costs 36.5 9.1 9.1 0.1 27.4 Programme Costs 276.3 6.1 30.3 (24.2) 246.0 Income 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Sustainable Development Total 312.7 15.2 39.3 (24.1) 273.4
Staff Costs 105.7 26.4 25.1 1.4 80.6 Programme Costs 24.0 10.4 14.5 (4.1) 9.5 Income 0.0 0.0 (14.0) 14.0 14.0 Visitor Management Total 129.7 36.8 25.6 11.2 104.1
Total Limited Gross Costs 1,425.5 303.0 370.0 (67.1) 1,055.4 Total Limited Income (830.3) (266.4) (328.9) 62.5 (501.4) Total Limited Net Cost 595.2 36.5 41.2 (4.6) 554.1 Programme Summary Total Programme Gross Costs 5,731.7 1,254.6 1,008.4 246.2 4,723.2 Total Programme Income (2,106.6) (473.1) (110.0) (363.0) (1,996.6) Total Programme Net Cost 3,625.0 781.5 898.4 (116.8) 2,726.6 Corporate Employment and Central Costs Conservation and Communities Staff Costs 135.7 33.9 26.7 7.3 109.0 Park Management Staff Costs 331.2 82.8 84.3 (1.5) 246.9 Corporate Staff Costs 852.1 213.0 207.0 6.0 645.1 Vacancy Factor 2% (36.9) (9.2) 0.0 (9.2) (36.9) Pension Deficit - Lump Sum 9.5 1.8 4.3 (2.5) 5.3 TOTAL CORPORATE EMPLOYMENT COSTS 1,291.6 322.3 322.2 0.0 969.4 Support Services 212.3 83.8 102.3 (18.6) 110.0 Support Services Income (25.0) (6.2) (7.4) 1.2 (17.6) CEO Support 13.6 11.2 11.8 (0.6) 1.8 CEO Support Income 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Legal Services 16.1 2.6 5.9 (3.3) 10.2 Legal Services Income (20.0) (5.0) (8.5) 3.5 (11.5) Office Accommodation 102.7 27.5 26.6 0.9 76.2 Office Accommodation Income (9.7) (2.4) (7.7) 5.2 (2.0) Health and Safety 5.1 0.7 0.9 (0.2) 4.3 Member 115.3 27.4 26.5 0.9 88.8 IT Licences, Consumables and Support 125.1 37.9 57.6 (19.7) 67.4 Communications and Web Services 93.3 17.7 17.4 0.3 75.9 Communication Income (19.7) (19.1) (16.0) (3.0) (3.7) Land Holdings and Maintenance 98.5 2.4 8.5 (6.1) 90.0 Land Holdings and Maintenance Income (5.8) 0.0 (1.2) 1.2 (4.6) Training 30.1 7.5 9.5 (1.9) 20.7 TOTAL CENTRAL COSTS 732.0 186.0 226.2 (40.2) 505.8 SUMMARY National Park Grant (5,141.4) (1,285.3) (1,285.3) 0.0 (3,856.0) Other Income (2,186.9) (505.8) (150.8) (355.0) (2,036.0) Total Income (7,328.2) (1,791.2) (1,436.2) (355.0) (5,892.1) Gross Expenditure 7,835.5 1,795.6 1,597.6 198.0 6,237.9 Net expenditure (excluding National Park Grant) 5,648.6 1,289.8 1,446.8 (157.0) 4,201.8 In-Year Deficit/(Surplus) 507.3 4.5 161.5 (157.0) 345.8 FUNDED BY EARMARKED RESERVES: In-Year Deficit/(Surplus) 507.3 4.5 161.5 (157.0) 345.8
32 of 43 Appendix 2
1 APRIL 2018 To 30 JUN 2018 QUARTER 1 - MONTH 3
SUMMARY EXPENDITURE INCOME TOTAL Description £'000 £'000 £'000 Original Budget Surplus (83.7) Opportunity Fund Projects 12.2 0.0 12.2 1 Carry Forward Budgets from 2017/18 (F&R 22 May 2018) 564.7 (14.4) 550.3 2 Income In Advance (Not already in 18/19 Budget) from 2017/18 100.9 (100.9) 0.0 3 Cost Savings (4.0) 0.0 (4.0) 4 Additional Funding/Income 39.9 (57.2) (17.3) 5 Corrections/Cancellation of Project (8.2) 0.6 (7.6) 6 B4RN Loans Transferred from SDF Grant Total to Loan Account (10.0) 0.0 (10.0) 7 Transfers from Reserves 67.5 0.0 67.5 Total In-Year Changes 762.9 (171.9) 591.0 Revised Budget Deficit 762.9 (171.9) 507.3
OPPORTUNITY FUND Balance 31/03/18 104.0 EXPENDITURE INCOME TOTAL QTR No Description Programme Description £'000 £'000 £'000 1 1 National Parks Partnership Grant CEO 10.0 10.0 1 2 Investors in People Enhanced Accreditation Corporate 2.2 2.2 Total movement from/(to) Opportunity Fund 12.2 0.0 12.2 Opportunity Fund Balance Available 91.8
VIREMENTS TO THE BUDGET EXPENDITURE INCOME TOTAL QTR No Carried Forward Budgets and In-Year Alterations Programme Description £'000 £'000 £'000
1 Carry Forward Budgets from 2017/18 (F&R 22 May 2018) 1 1 Committed budgets for management agreements and grants LM - Trees & Woodlands 18.0 18.0 1 2 Balance of external funding received for Northern Upland Chain LM - Land Management Partnerships 42.0 42.0 1 3 HLF Bid costs Northern Upland Chain LM - Biodiversity 4.8 4.8 1 4 Parish Wildlife Printing Orton Road Verge Volunteer/Apprentices 2.0 2.0 1 5 Committed spend on monuments Historic Environment 4.6 4.6 1 6 Muker Barns project balance Landscape Features 90.7 (12.7) 78.1 1 7 Carpark surfacing/lines & Grassington development Carparks & Toilets 38.8 38.8 1 8 Swailtrail/Brush House Stepping Stones ROW - Northern Dales 34.0 34.0 1 9 Ribblehead footpath works and soundposts ROW - Southern Dales 6.6 6.6 1 10 Barden Moor signage Visitor Management 2.0 2.0 1 11 Green Lanes Visitor Management 5.0 5.0 1 12 A Walk in the Park Access for All 30.0 30.0 1 13 National Park presence/uniforms National Park Centres 16.5 16.5 1 14 Aysgarth Roof final works National Park Centres 8.0 8.0 1 15 Rolling Refurbishment Budget National Park Centres 8.8 8.8 1 16 EARFD/Discover England project Tourism 28.4 28.4 1 17 Lead mining project - remaining budget Dales Countryside Museum 11.7 (1.7) 10.0 1 18 Maintenance works at DCM - repairs, painting, flooring Dales Countryside Museum 13.0 13.0 1 19 CDC NHB Attracting Families budget & website building costs Development Planning 19.0 19.0 1 20 Sustainable Development Fund Committed projects Sustainable Development Fund 113.2 113.2 1 21 Colvend repairs & maintenance - roof/cottage/garden Corporate - Land Holdings & Maintenance 62.5 62.5 1 22 Photos for social media/visitor/dales & Logo works Corporate - Communications 5.0 5.0 564.7 (14.4) 550.3 2 Income In Advance (Not already in 18/19 Budget) from 2017/18 1 1 Mend Our Mountains Rights of Way - Three Peaks 4.1 (4.1) 0.0 1 2 Capital Works 18/19 Three Peaks (Donations) Rights of Way - Three Peaks 10.4 (10.4) 0.0 1 3 HLF On the Rightp ath National Trails (50%) Rights of Way - National Trails 14.3 (14.3) 0.0 1 4 Trust Donation for National Trails GVMKR Rights of Way - National Trails 3.0 (3.0) 0.0 1 5 DCLG Custom Build Register 1718 Development Planning 30.0 (30.0) 0.0 1 6 DCLG Brown Field Register 1718 Development Planning 5.5 (5.5) 0.0 1 7 DCLG Brown Field Register 1617 Development Planning 14.6 (14.6) 0.0 1 8 Dairy Days- Year 1 18/19 Interpretation 18.9 (18.9) 0.0 100.9 (100.9) 0.0 3 Cost Savings 1 1 Broadband Connection not needed CP Hawes Carparks & Toilets (4.0) (4.0) (4.0) 0.0 (4.0) 4 Additional Funding/Income 1 1 National Trust Outcomes - Staffing income Land Management/Biodiversity - Staffing (3.0) (3.0) 1 2 Wensleydale Facilitation Fund - Staffing income Land Management/Biodiversity - Staffing (9.4) (9.4) 1 3 Wensleydale Facilitation Fund Land Management/Biodiversity - Farming 5.5 (5.5) 0.0 1 4 Lunesdale Facilitation Fund Land Management/Biodiversity - Farming 7.6 (7.6) 0.0 1 5 HLF On the Right Path National Trails (50%) Rights of Way - National Trails 11.3 (14.3) (3.0) 1 6 Additional National Trails Funding Public Rights Of Way - National Trails 17.4 (17.4) 0.0 1 7 Dairy Days adjustment -(costs lower in year 1)-See Income In Advance (No 8) Interpretation (2.0) (2.0) 39.9 (57.2) (17.3) 5 Corrections/Cancellation of Project 1 1 Catchment Sensitive Farming Applications reduced budget Land Management/Biodiversity - Farming 0.6 0.6 1 2 Our Common Cause Project - budget not required Land Management Partnerships (5.0) (5.0) 1 3 Slow the Flow - costs are already covered in the salaries budget Land Management Partnerships (1.2) (1.2) 1 4 SDF Underclaims Sustainable Development Fund (2.0) (2.0) (8.2) 0.6 (7.6) 6 B4RN Loans Transferred from SDF Grant Total to Loan Account 1 1 SDF Loan Sustainable Development Fund (10.0) (10.0) (10.0) 0.0 (10.0) 7 Transfers from Reserves 1 1 Tees-Swale - Naturally Connected HLF Project Reserve (Stage 1) Land Management Partnerships 50.0 0.0 50.0 1 2 Property Maintenance Reserve - Horton Toilets Carparks & Toilets - Toilets 4.0 0.0 4.0 1 3 IT Costs omitted from start budget Corporate Costs - IT 13.5 13.5 67.5 0.0 67.5 TOTAL Movements From/(to) Reserves 762.9 (171.9) 591.0
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YORKSHIRE DALES NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY ITEM 10
Committee: FINANCE AND RESOURCES Date: 11 September 2018
Report: INCOME GENERATION STRATEGY: PROGRESS UPDATE
Purpose of report
1. To inform Members of progress in implementing the Authority’s Income Generation Strategy.
RECOMMENDATION
2. That Members note the update on progress with implementing the Authority’s Income Generation Strategy.
Strategic Planning Framework
3. The information and recommendation contained in this report are consistent with the Authority’s statutory purposes and it’s approved strategic planning framework: Corporate Plan Objective 24: Plan and manage all aspects of the National Park Authority’s business to make the most effective use of our resources and develop our capacity for income generation to maintain our annual income at £6.8 million.
Background
4. This report is one of the regular updates provided to Members on the activity that is underway to develop areas of income generating opportunity. The levels of income actually achieved each year are reported to this Committee as part of the standard monitoring of the Authority’s budget.
Consideration
5. Details of the externally-funded projects for which funding has been secured since 1 April 2018 and those currently in development, are set out in the Annex.
6. Since the last update in May: • RBAPS pilot extension – Defra has announced that it will be funding an extension (for a further 2 years) of the current ‘Results-Based Agri-environment Payment Scheme pilot project in Wensleydale. The Authority will continue to deliver the pilot, with Natural England responsible for overall project management. The funding
35 of 43 will enable the existing agreements to continue and more land on each of the holdings to be brought into the scheme. It will also provide around £30,000 per year for the Authority’s staff costs. • Westmorland Dales Landscape Partnership – A great deal of activity has been focused on writing the Landscape Conservation Action Plan and application to HLF with Friends of the Lake District for submission by mid-September. As the accountable body for implementation (Stage II), the Authority would be responsible for managing the £2 million grant. • Tees-Swale: Naturally Connected – following some complications over the match- funding, HLF has just issued the official ‘permission to start’ the Development Phase of this project (which was reported in more detail to the Committee in May). Recruitment of project officers – one of whom will be based with YDNPA - is underway, and a project Board is being set up to steer the development of the full (Stage II) bid for the (£8 million) project by the end of 2019. • SHINE consultations – the Authority’s Historic Environment team has provided input and advice on heritage features to support over 200 Countryside Stewardship applications this year. This will generate fees of around £25,000 (£15,000 more than originally budgeted). • Grassington project – the Authority’s application to the Yorkshire Dales LEADER programme for £58,500 for has been approved but is on the ‘reserve’ list (so dependent on an underspend within the LEADER scheme nationally). The overall aim of the project would be to enhance the existing tourism offer and use the National Park Centre site as a hub to encourage greater exploration of the local area, including the village, local walks, and nearby attractions. • Walk in the Park - the Expression of Interest submitted to Sport England for a grant to work with the community groups in deprived areas of West Yorkshire was unsuccessful. The project did not get through to the second stage. However we are now working on a funding bid with a community group to access funding to help them get out into the Dales and improve their health and wellbeing. • Curlew Conservation – the Northern Upland Chain Local Nature Partnership agreed in June to try to develop a ‘significant’ funding bid for a programme of work to improve the prospects for curlew and other breeding waders across the northern Pennines. The Authority will receive up to £15k from the LNP to appoint a project officer to carry out preparatory work and lead the development of the bid.
7. Members should note that none of the income from the above projects was included in the approved 2018/19 budget.
Conclusion
8. The Authority is continuing to develop a strong ‘pipeline’ of major externally-funded projects to deliver it’s objectives and maintain overall funding levels.
Gary Smith Director of Conservation and Community
24 August 2018
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‘Pipeline’ of significant external funding bids Annex
Grants Key - green = funding secured; orange = bid submitted (or imminent); blue = in development.
Project title Description Prospective YDNPA Start/duration Income 1. Traditional farm Pilot of a new ‘Traditional Farm Buildings’ grant programme in 5 national £20,000 (Defra) Apr 2018 buildings parks. Should fund repair/restoration of around 12 buildings in the Dales. 2 years 2. Dairy Days Celebration of the history of dairy and cheese-making in Wensleydale, giving £38,000 (HLF) Apr 2018 in-depth experience for visitors and locals. Bid submitted in November. 1 year 3. Upper Lunesdale 2-year programme of interventions to improve natural flood management in £110,000 (Cumbria Apr 2018 the upper reaches of the Lunesdale catchment. Floods Partnership) 2 years 4. RBAPS pilot Extension of the current 2 year national pilot in Wensleydale of a new £30,000 pa (Defra) Sep 2018 approach to agri-environment schemes. 2 years 5. Tees-Swale: Development phase for large scale habitat network project with the North £35,000 pa (HLF) Sep 2018 Naturally Pennines AONB. Stage 1 bid approved by HLF in April 2018. 1.5 years Connected Costs of three project officers to work with clusters of farmers to implement £60,000 p.a. (Esmee Mar 2020 and deliver the habitat restoration and farmer training elements of the Tees- Fairbairn Trust) 5 years Swale project. Bid submitted in August 2018.
Project implementation and delivery to support habitat restoration (peatland, £250,000 p.a. (HLF) Mar 2020 woodland, hay meadows) and management through ‘High Nature Value 5 years Farming’. Stage 2 bid to be submitted in December 2019. 6. Curlew Data collection and preparatory work for a cross-LNP wader conservation £15,000 (LNP) Oct 2018 Conservation initiative 1 year Cross-LNP programme of interventions to support healthy populations of £300,000 Sep 2019 Curlew and other breeding waders. 3 years 7. Westmorland £3.5 million Landscape Partnership project developed with the Friends of the £2.3 million (HLF) Jan 2019 Dales Hidden Lake District. Stage 1 bid approved by HLF in October 2016. 18 month 4 years Landscape ‘development phase’ completed, with submission of final ‘stage 2’ bid September 2018.
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Project title Description Prospective YDNPA Start/duration Income 8. Mend our Improvements to 200m of stone pitching on Bruntscar (the main 3 Peaks £46,000 (BMC) Nov 2018 Mountains II route off Whernside). 1 year 9. Grassington Improvements to infrastructure at YDNPA's Grassington site leading to £58,000 (LEADER) January 2019 infrastructure enhanced visitor experiences. Bid to LEADER submitted in April, on the 1 year reserve list for funding. £15,000 (Big Lottery, January 2019 Using the ‘community champion’ model to motivate and inspire people to 10. A Walk in the Park Building Connections increase their level of activity through walking in the National Park. Fund) 11. NUCLNP natural Cross-LNP programme of natural heritage grants to support local community £1.3 million (HLF) Oct 2019 heritage grants conservation work. Bid put back to 2019. 4 years 12. Collection Building on the success of the Spear Project, using the museum collection to n/k July 2019 Connections explore the landscape. The project will tie in with National Parks and Access Arts Council 1 year to the Countryside Act 70 year celebrations
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YORKSHIRE DALES NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY ITEM 11
Committee: FINANCE AND RESOURCES Date: 11 September 2018
Report: STAFFING
Purpose of the report
1. To update Members on the staffing establishment as at 31 July 2018 and to advise on recent staffing changes.
RECOMMENDATION
2. That the report be noted.
Strategic Planning Framework
3. The information and recommendation contained in this report are consistent with the Authority’s statutory purposes and its approved strategic planning framework, and specifically Corporate Action Plan Objective 24, to “Plan and manage all aspects of the Authority’s business so as to make the most effective use of our resources”.
Background
4. Establishment as at 31 July 2018
A B C D Directorate Established Posts Temporary Posts Vacancies FTE Total Headcount FTE FTE (includes job shares & part-time working) Corporate Services 22 0 0 29
Park Services 48 4.81 0 67 Conservation & Community 38 5.61 0.7 47
TOTAL 108 10.42 0.7 143 [Officers on maternity leave have not been counted within Column D. If their post has been covered, the temporary officer is counted in Columns B and D].
39 of 43 5. Leavers
Five officers left the Authority between 1 April 2018 and 31 July 2018.
Name Leaving Date Position Additional Info
Head of Access and Mark Allum 22 June 2018 Resignation Engagement Senior Planning Emma Heron 6 May 2018 Resignation Officer
Oliver Bacchus 2 May 2018 Dales Apprentice Resignation Volunteers and Contract ended at end of Abigail Nelson 31 July 2018 Engagement Probationary Period. Support Officer Jennifer Sockett 30 June 2018 Information Adviser Resignation
6. Vacancies, New Employees and Contract Changes
The following table lists new employees who joined the Authority, and current employees who have been promoted or changed post, during the period between 1 April 2018 and 31 July 2018.
DIRECTORATE VACANCY Additional Info Conservation and Senior Planning Officer Andrew Moxon started on 11 June 2018 Community Conservation Support Conservation and Officer (Trees and Vanessa Jackson started on 18 June 2018 Community Woodlands) Park Services Access Ranger Calum Stott started on 1 June 2018 Park Services Dales Apprentice Ian Colledge started on 1 May 2018 Park Services Dales Apprentice Isaac Bury started on 2 July 2018 Pennine National Trails Nick Osbourne started on 30 July 2018, covering Park Services Partnership Manager the maternity leave of Heather Procter. Head of Access and Park Services Rebecca Greenfield started on 25 June 2018 Engagement Park Services Information Adviser Jennifer Sockett started on 1 May 2018
Hannah Clarke Head of HR and Communications
23 August 2018
Background documents: None
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YORKSHIRE DALES NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY ITEM 12
Committee: FINANCE AND RESOURCES Date: 11 September 2018
Report: SICKNESS ABSENCE
Purpose of the Report
1. To advise Members of the current level of sickness absence within the National Park Authority staffing establishment.
Recommendation
2. That the report be noted.
Strategic Planning Framework
3. The information contained in this report is consistent with the Authority’s statutory purposes and approved strategic planning framework, and in particular Corporate Plan Objective 24, “Plan and manage all aspects of the Authority’s business so as to make the most effective use of our resources”.
Scope of this Report
4. Analysis has been undertaken of sickness absence data covering all staff employed by the Authority during the first quarter of 2018/19 (so from 1 April 2018 to 30 June 2018). The data has been categorised by individual Directorates and is attached as an Appendix to this report. Information is provided both in terms of the percentage of time lost and then what this means in actual days lost, to illustrate the proportionate and absolute size of sickness absence.
Method of Calculation
5. As with previous reports, the Appendix presents data for all staff based on a five day working week, taking into account vacant posts, bank holidays, and an average annual leave and flexi leave entitlement, to give ‘actual’ working days available for both full and part-time staff. The following data is provided:
(i) Number of staff in post as at 30 June 2018 (Full-Time Equivalent) (ii) The total number of days lost due to sickness within the reporting period (iii) The total number of working days available within the reporting period (iv) Each Directorate’s lost time rate, being the percentage of lost days compared with the number of days available, is calculated as follows:-
Total Number of Days Lost x100 Total Number of Days Available
41 of 43 6. The Authority’s lost time rate for the quarter ending 30 June 2018 was 1.1%. The rate for the previous quarter to 31 March 2018 was 2.6%. Also provided within the Appendix are details of the quarterly lost time rates over the last five years.
Performance Indicator results
7. The Authority uses a Performance Indicator to report the proportion of working days lost due to sickness absence. Rather than reporting the annual lost time rate, sickness absence for Performance Indicator purposes is calculated and expressed as the number of day’s absence per Full Time Equivalent (FTE) member of staff, as follows:
Aggregate of lost working days = X days per FTE Average number of FTE staff Calculated by reference to the start and end of the financial year
8. The situation as at the end of the first quarter (ending 30 June 2018) using the Performance Indicator methodology (as opposed to the ‘lost time rate’, percentage-based approach) yields a figure of 0.6 days per FTE for that quarter.
Number of working days lost due to sickness per FTE – comparative data
9. The following table shows the Authority’s performance relating to sickness (as measured by the Performance Indicator calculation) over the past five years. The equivalent figures for the other nine English National Park Authorities (where available) are included for comparison; the 2017/18 comparative figures have yet to be obtained, but as they are no longer prepared as cross-National Park Performance indicators, this takes a little longer than before; we aim to include these comparatives within the next edition of this report.
Year South Broads Dart- Exmoor Lakes North- NYM New Peak Dales Downs moor mblnd Forest District 2013/14 4.2 4.7 7.5 5.6 5.1 6.6 4.0 3.9 6.6 5.4 2014/15 Not 4.5 7.6 9.3 3.2 7.2 2.6 4.1 3.1 available 4.7 2015/16 Not 3.6 available 4.9 9.8 6.2 7.3 2.2 4.2 5.3 2.2 2016/17 4.7 Not Not available 7.8 3.6 4.4 3.0 4.0 available 5.5 4.0 2017/18 Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data awaited awaited awaited awaited awaited awaited awaited awaited awaited 4.1 5 year 4.5 5.7 8.6 4.7 6.0 3.6 4.1 3.5 5.8 4.1 average (to (to (to (to (to (to (to (to (to (to 31/3/17) 31/3/17) 31/3/17) 31/3/17) 31/3/17) 31/3/17) 31/3/17) 31/3/17) 31/3/17) 31/3/18)
Caszandra Peterson Senior Administrative Officer 28 August 2018
42 of 43 APPENDIX
SICKNESS ABSENCE LEVELS – 1 APRIL to 30 JUNE 2018
DIRECTORATE FULL TIME TOTAL NO. TOTAL DAYS LOST EQUIVALENT OF DAYS AVAILABLE TIME IN POST LOST % as at 30.6.18 Corporate Services 22.55 19 1195.15 1.6 Conservation & Community 38.66 28.13 2048.98 1.4 Park Services 50.52 18.11 2677.56 0.7 TOTAL 111.73 65.24 5921.69 1.1
ANALYSIS OF SICKNESS LEVELS (LOST TIME RATE) AT QUARTERLY INTERVALS FOR THE PERIOD 1 APRIL 2013 TO 30 JUNE 2018
1 April 2013 – 30 1 July 2013 – 30 1 October 2013 – 1 January 2014 – June 2013 September 2013 31 December 2013 31 March 2014 2.1% 1.7% 3.3% 2.9%
1 April 2014 – 30 1 July 2014 – 30 1 October 2014 – 1 January 2015 – June 2014 September 2014 31 December 2014 31 March 2015 1.3% 1.4% 2.7% 3.1%
1 April 2015 – 30 1 July 2015 – 30 1 October 2015 – 1 January 2016 – June 2015 September 2015 31 December 2015 31 March 2016 1.1% 0.6% 1.0% 1.3%
1 April 2016 – 30 1 July 2016 – 30 1 October 2016 – 1 January 2017 – June 2016 September 2016 31 December 2016 31 March 2017 1.4% 1.1% 2.6% 2.1%
1 April 2017 – 30 1 July 2017 – 30 1 October 2017 – 1 January 2018 – June 2017 September 2017 31 December 2017 31 March 2018 1.5% 1.4% 2.0% 2.6%
1 April 2018 – 30 1 July 2018 – 30 1 October 2018 – 1 January 2019 – June 2018 September 2018 31 December 2018 31 March 2019 1.1%
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