Funding freeze hits national park

Rangers' duties will be reduced in the drive to save cash

Visitors to the Peak District National Park will see fewer rangers in the coming year because of a government funding freeze.

The national park has to save £323,000 in its new budget, but officials said no jobs are being cut. Some vacant posts will not be filled.

It is cutting farmers' grants and putting some conservation work on hold.

Park authority chief executive Jim Dixon said the government's decision has put the park under pressure.

"The entire national park budget for the whole of England is £33m.

Headquarters revamped

"If you compare with £45m that's spent on two London opera houses, that's a very small amount of money to pay for our national parks," he said.

Among the budget proposals are a freeze on recruitment of paid part-time patrol rangers.

Volunteers will still be recruited and trained.

A revamp of the authority's Bakewell headquarters in Derbyshire will be paid for by saving £60,000 a year in the costs of occupying overspill offices.

The budget will be finalised at the authority's next meeting on 10 February.