JOB losses are on the cards at Exmoor National Park Authority after the Government announced a 5.4 per cent cut in its annual grant in 2011/12 - on top of an existing five per cent cut in the current level of funding.

The authority is also expecting further cuts of up to 21.5 per cent over the next four years, or the equivalent of 28.5 per cent in real terms.

But chief executive Nigel Stone said the announcement was not a surprise and the authority had already taken a number of cost-cutting steps.

"The reduction in funding is in line with what we were expecting and had planned for.

"There are many other public services in the same sort of situation and we are keen to respond positively now that we know the funding settlement for next year."

He said the authority would be able to set a balanced budget next year having already made savings by not filling vacancies, but accepted more drastic measures may have to be taken.

Mr Stone said: "We have already made some savings by not refilling posts of staff that have either left for other jobs, taken voluntary redundancy or retired over recent months, so we will be able to balance our budget next year.

"This will give us time to review all our services and activities, consult widely with other providers and partners and refocus the work of the authority so we can establish new ways of doing things at less cost, but this will inevitably result in job losses in the future.

"There will be an increased emphasis on working closely with the people we serve who care for the national park - local communities, farmers and land managers and users of the national park."

He said the authority would be looking at the most cost-effective way of undertaking work and already commissioned services such as finance, legal and listed building advice from other local authorities.

He stressed the grant reduction would not affect partnership projects such as the Exmoor Moorland Landscape Partnership or the Exmoor Mires-on-the-Moors scheme.

The new national park information centre would also be completed in Lynmouth.