Paper 1 - 2025-26 Budget Monitoring

This document contains an update on the Cairngorms National Park Authority’s budget for the 2025/26 financial year, covering up to the end of December 2025. By this point, 53% of the year's budget had been spent. The Park Authority returned £360,000 of funding to the Scottish Government, which was initially allocated for peatland restoration but wasn’t needed to meet targets this year. Staff payroll costs are progressing as expected, with a 1% cost of living pay rise introduced from 1 January 2026. Important projects, such as the design work for the Aviemore and Boat of Garten Active Communities transport schemes, are continuing, and payments for the Cairngorms 2030 (C2030) project have been received. Overall spending and committed funds for the Park Authority's work plan are close to £6 million. Looking ahead, the Park Authority expects to manage its finances to be close to the overall budget by 31 March 2026, helped by some flexibility in its contribution to the C2030 project, as £300,000 was advanced last year.