Climate change: South Downs National Park needs resources to match ambitions amid funding crisis

South Downs National Park Authority funding has fallen by 40 per cent over the past decade and this year the authority has had to make £1.1m of savings, including staff cuts, closure of a depot, merging ranger teams, less funding for projects and other efficiency savings.

Chief executive Trevor Beattie said: ‘The financial situation for all national parks is incredibly difficult and the South Downs National Park is no exception.

‘The South Downs National Park is the third biggest in England, has the largest population and is among the top 20 planning authorities in the UK by both geography and volume of applications. Expectations on us continue to rise as our budget reduces.’

The park has received £10.486m from the government every year since 2019 which will remain the same until 2025 even though costs continue to rise, forcing it to make further cuts as well as seeking alternative funding.

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Mr Beattie added: ‘The authority has balanced the books until 2024/2025, through cuts, efficiency savings and fundraising, after which we will be facing a deficit of at least £849,000 over the subsequent two years, unless funding increases.

‘National Parks are the “green lungs” of the nation, providing a vital public service to help people access the countryside and protect and enhance our cherished landscapes. We are also the linchpin of the UK’s ambitious nature recovery and climate change targets. We need the resources to match our ambitions for nature recovery, access for all and the national response to climate change.’