THE POPULAR Dartmoor National Park visitor centre in Princetown is due to close after a funding injection ends in March causing concern the economy of the village will be affected.

The centre (also known as the former Duchy Hotel) is leased from the Duchy of Cornwall estate by the national park authority (DNPA) which cannot afford to renew the lease and a some staff now face redundancy with closure planned for Friday, March 25.

Dartmoor Forest Parish Council is concerned the closure will mean a reduction in visitors and therefore, less custom for the pubs, cafes, shops and brewery. It is drawing up an action plan to campaign against the closure or for an alternative. It has previously suggested looking at smaller alternative centres in the village or ways of maximising income from the visitor centre.

Proposals to close the visitor centre were considered in 2022 after ongoing funding reductions. A £440,000 one-off grant from Defra in March 2023 enabled the centre to stay open until March 2025.

A DNPA spokesman confirmed: “Subject to consultation with staff and trade unions the centre will close. Our focus will be on supporting our colleagues through this formal process. Discussions are likely to conclude in early 2025.”

The spokesman continued: “Funding for England’s National Parks, as well as the wider public sector, has been extremely challenging for several years. Since 2010/2011 Dartmoor National Park Authority has seen over 40 per cent in real-term reductions in funding from Defra. One-off grants are welcome but do not provide long-term solutions.”

The authority will explore income and funding opportunities, to work out what it can afford to provide or done differently to fulfil the park’s partnership plan.

A spokesman said: “Both our business plan and partnership plan show our clear and collective commitment to Dartmoor. We will continue to support communities to thrive, create nature-rich spaces that all parts of society can easily access and enjoy, and ensure people understand, respect, and enjoy this special place.”

Eleven posts are directly affected by the proposed closure, of which up to eight will be protected to support Haytor and Postbridge park visitor centres. If the closure is finally confirmed, three or four are redundancies are expected, said DNPA.

The spokesman added: “The consultation on proposals to close the visitor centre are ongoing, as are discussions with the recognised trade union (UNISON) and Duchy Hotel landlord, the Duchy of Cornwall. To minimise uncertainty and disruption,

We are committed to supporting all staff who are directly or indirectly affected. human resources, managerial, union and wellbeing support is in place to help colleagues through this challenging period. It’s important to reiterate that Princetown Visitor Centre remains open for business and people are welcome to visit.

DNPA has explored a range of alternative provisions, with new partners and the Duchy of Cornwall and over several years and is open to viable proposals retaining quality visitor services, offering value for money. The authority welcomes new ideas to be considered carefully during the closure process.