Social Value Ideas for North York Moors National Park Authority

2022-23 accounts approved

The committee considered the final statement of accounts for 2022-23, including a recognised £1.4 million pension surplus and other audit adjustments, and agreed to approve the accounts subject to the…

“so next it's um I'm pretty sure it's p again is it 10 so we have the the medium-term financial strategy the final one the final one um um yes the the …”

Balanced 24/25 budget

The committee considered the draft 2024/25 budget, which is balanced with no call on reserves. Officers highlighted inflation, uncertainty over pay awards, frozen core grant, and rising utilities as k…

“so we've got again some of the big things facing the authority at the moment our inflationary pressures there's uncertainties around pay award um deat…”

Defra revenue-to-capital shift

Officers reported a major budget pressure from Defra’s decision to cut revenue grant and replace part of it with capital grant. This creates a need to reclassify and replan spending, and members accep…

“so this one is the def Grant um this is the main changes um so the fras report resumed the flat C settlement of 4382 million um that's been the same n…”

Medium-term funding gap

The medium-term financial strategy shows a balanced position next year but growing deficits from 2026-27 onward, driven mainly by a freeze in DEFRA core grant and inflationary pressure on pay and util…

“um the mtfs indicates it will stall unless we make some iic changes and that's the key Point really we need to have a financial strategy that enables …”

Lease accounting drove extra audit fee

The authority incurred additional audit work because IFRS 16 lease accounting had to be implemented for 2024/25. The auditor said this justified an extra fee of £2,000, and officers explained that con…

“The final risk which we didn't have as a significant risk we had it as a identified as another key area of management judgment or an enhanced risk and…”

MTFS assumes flat grant

The medium-term financial strategy assumes Defra core grant remains flat for five years, while pay, overheads and utilities rise. Officers said this creates a growing deficit from 2026/27 onwards unle…

“um this document this this graph just helps a little bit to kind of illustrate where we've come from where we're going um goes right back to sort of 0…”

Weak controls in finance process

Internal audit highlighted a need to strengthen purchase-order and goods-receipting controls in the new finance system. Management said the old process was ad hoc and that the new system is technicall…

“I think at the moment what we've inherited is what we probably had from SUNs is good with aspects of this. One is raising purchase orders in a timely …”

2025/26 Budget Deficit

The authority is planning for a significant 2025/26 funding gap. The report states a projected deficit of £345,000, driven mainly by flat core grant, pay inflation and a £125,000 National Insurance co…

“so from a financial position point of view um next year we're looking at 345,000 deficit position and then you can see year after year that grows with…”

DEFRA funding uncertainty

A major financial pressure is the lack of certainty over future DEFRA support, with revenue funding reduced and capital funding increasingly replacing it. Officers said the authority is working in a d…

“We recognize um it's quite a big pressure uh having an audit of this nature undertaken and we're really appreciative of the cooperation that we get an…”

Deficit driven by flat grant

The MTFS shows a projected deficit because grant funding remains broadly flat while pay, overhead and National Insurance costs rise. Members were told the gap will need to be bridged each year if the …

“so in terms of the financial position in the mtfs so the table here shows the it says surface deficits I it's a deficit in here um um so we've got no …”

Finance system now live

The new finance system went live on 2025-08-01 after testing in June and July, and officers reported that payment and invoicing functions were operating well. Further development is planned for report…

“Um, and the only other thing I thought I'd mention um and Simon will cover it as well in his IT report on this agenda is just the finance system. So w…”

Helmsley HQ planning approved

The Authority approved officers' recommendation to apply for planning permission for a new build headquarters/depot in Helmsley, with a minor amendment allowing tweaks required to secure permission. T…

“I think it's proposed and seconded that we accept the recommendation with those minor amendments just to enable tweaks should they be required through…”

HQ and store redevelopment

The Authority is progressing a revised headquarters and store scheme that now reuses part of the old Print Works as a depot rather than building a new garage on the office site. Tender documentation i…

“part four of the report uh takes you through our developing thinking um on the development and the the best use of the sides um as you'll be aware the…”

Advance HQ tender preparation

The Authority asked to bring forward £50,000 from the property reserve into the current year so tender documentation for the proposed new HQ/depot can be prepared in parallel with the planning process…

“so in par 310 of the report um I asked that we bring forward um 50,000 worth of expenditure that we originally ear marked for uh 2526 Bring It Forward…”

New ranger depot approved

Members approved the preferred option to repurpose the old print works as the new southern ranger depot, replacing the failing Sawmill Lane facility. The decision is driven by health and safety concer…

“So, we've had a good discussion about it. So, there is naturally, I'm afraid, a little bit of um repetition, but I thought it was useful to make sure …”

Higher external audit fee

Members were told the new external audit fee is £41,766, with the auditor explaining that fees have roughly doubled across the sector following the national procurement outcome. The fee is expected to…

“The um engagement responsibilities for our audit is set out on page six um our main areas of work are to give an opinion on the financial statement wh…”

Defra grant to fund core services

The budget assumes a flat-cash Defra grant of £4.382m for 2025/26, with no extra one-off support expected. Officers said this grant underpins core services and enables leverage of external funding, bu…

“at the moment we still have no confirmation yet as to what to expect whether it be flat cash whether to see some form of a cut in that or whether we m…”