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05
Mar
Yorkshire Dales bosses set to get pay rises of up to 20%
Senior officers at the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) are set to receive a pay boost of up to 20 per cent, it has emerged.
Members of the authority voted in favour of changing salary bandings at a behind-closed-doors meeting in December after consultants were hired to review staff pay.
The increase was then approved at a meeting last month by members of the authority’s finance and resources committee as part of the 2026/27 budget plans.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service understands the changes would mean directors and heads of department receiving a pay increase of between 10% and 20%, when added to a 3% rise to be given to all staff.
Confidential report
Full details of the proposal were included in a confidential report prepared by the consultants tasked with reviewing pay at the authority.
The YDNPA, which is a public body that looks after the Yorkshire Dales, declined to release a copy of the report.
The authority said it commissioned an independent pay and reward review to assess how pay across the authority compared with similar public-sector organisations outside London and the South-East, and to “ensure we remain competitive, fair and compliant with equal pay good practice. It has been over ten years since our last comprehensive review”.
A spokesperson added:
The finance and resources committee considered the report in private session in December because it contained confidential financial modelling and staffing information.
This is an appropriate and routine use of an exemption under the Local Government Act when discussing sensitive matters.
Following consideration of the independent evidence, members supported in principle a revised pay structure that aligns more closely with the market median for comparable public sector organisations.
Members requested that the costings for this proposal be brought back as part of the 2026/27 budget deliberations.
No pay cuts
The authority said the recommendations would not reduce anyone’s salary, and any progression within grades would follow normal national arrangements.
The spokesperson added:
Around half of our workforce would see a positive impact under these proposals.
For the remaining roles, pay levels are already close to the market median and are therefore expected to stay broadly the same.
We are now undertaking a formal consultation process with staff and the trade union.
YDNPA said no changes would be implemented until the consultation had concluded and feedback has been considered.
Members heard at the February finance and resources committee meeting that the authority was now in a “strong and confident” financial position after previous fears of job losses and cut-backs.
YDNPA chief executive David Butterworth warned last year that the authority was facing a “financial cliff” with possible redundancies and the need to restructure the organisation due to a loss of funding.
But the senior officer, who retires later this year, said the outlook for the 2026/27 budget and beyond was much brighter.
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