EXMOOR National Park Authority has been accused of wasting taxpayers' money after agreeing to send four members to a one-day conference at a cost of £1,168, excluding VAT and travel.

The decision was taken just minutes after members had agreed to cut staff members at the authority by a quarter and to introduce a range of cost-cutting measures - including video conferencing - to save money.

But while members questioned the logic and expense of sending four representatives to the conference, they were told by authority chairman Cllr John Dyk that it was already a done deal.

The item had been listed on last Tuesday's meeting agenda as a request for members to "consider the authority's attendance" at a workshop in York on the value of national parks.

But after debating the pros and cons of sending representatives, members were told Exmoor was already financially committed to sending four representatives.

Cllr Dyke told last Tuesday's meeting: "Whether two go or not we will have to pick up the tab for four.

"These things have to be planned a long time in advance and that's just a fact of life.

"We could send two, but we would have to pick up the tab for the other two places as well."

It will cost the authority £292 per person to attend May's conference, with the charge covering the use of the venue, overnight accommodation and meals.

Travel for the four members selected to attend will be extra.

Speaking in the public section of last Tuesday's park authority meeting, parish councillor and former authority member John Dallyn said attending the conference would be of very little benefit to anyone who lived or worked on Exmoor.

He said if members wanted to go they should cover the cost of attending themselves and accused the authority of being "extravagant".

"There is no justification to send four members. I am sure all of you already know the value of national parks," he said.

But members disagreed and said such conferences were valuable tools that helped national parks work more closely together.

However, many were concerned by the number of representatives earmarked to attend, especially given the cutbacks facing park authorities across the country.

Cllr Jon Freeman told the meeting he had found conferences in both South Wales and Loch Lomond very interesting and worthwhile, but he believed there were better ways to be spending money in the current financial climate.

"I have no idea how much money it cost the authority and I have to say that although my personal experience was very great and I hope I fed something of value to the national park, quite frankly I very much doubt that, in financial terms, the national park achieved actual value for money from my visits," Cllr Freeman said.

Dr Stephen Head said it was important Exmoor had representatives at the conference as national parks had to stand united to have an effective voice.

"The question is how much do we spend and do we need to send four members?" he said.

Chief executive Nigel Stone said park authorities across the country were well aware of the financial pressures facing them and had already decided not to hold an annual meeting this year to save money.

Conferences would also be scaled down in the future but Dr Stone said the real value of conferences was the opportunity to meet fellow authority members and share best practice.

"I am certain there will be some really good ideas to come out of this meeting with other national parks to see what they are doing in their own specific localities," Dr Stone said.

Cllr Dyke said the annual meeting had been axed for 2011 "because of this time of austerity", while conferences had been reduced to 24-hours to ensure representatives only needed one night's accommodation.

Cllr Christine Lawrence suggested anyone attending conferences should consider paying their own travel costs to help ease the financial burden on the authority.

"It is difficult in this financial age to be spending money and obviously we do need to think very clearly about it, but I have to say I think that it will be very useful for people to go, especially with new members coming along in May and June.

"But it is difficult to be spending an excessive amount on money on this type of thing," Cllr Lawrence said.

Doug Wibberley suggested just two members should attend the conference to save money, while Ian Rigby dismissed "the cynical view" that attending conferences was a bit of "a jolly".

"I probably got the most value out of this type of meeting and brought back the most useful input I could from such gatherings.

"But probably at this time, in the economic climate we face, it would be sensible to suggest that . . . maybe a pair of members would be adequate and would reflect the current situation," Mr Rigby said.

Both Nick Holliday and Andrea Davis said the authority had a duty to meet and talk with other national park members from around the country and said there was little point discussing the merits of sending fewer members after Cllr Dyke confirmed four places had already been reserved.

Members agreed to send Ann Clitheroe, Frances Nicholson, Stephen Head and Nick Holliday.

After the meeting, a spokesman for the national park authority said there was a good reason for listing the item on Tuesday's agenda: "This was tabled to discuss who would be going, since, as it says [on the agenda] there was likely to be four places.

"These events are organised a long time in advance and in order for the workshop to be viable there had to be a commitment from each national park to send four delegates.

"There is no Association of National Park Authorities' conference this year and this will be the only chance that members will get to meet."

Molly Groves of pressure group Exmoor Uprising said she was "befuddled" by the authority's decision.

"To save money we suggested video conferencing whenever the ten national parks meet.

"This was agreed at this very same meeting and then at the very end they ask for the names of four people to attend a Cairngorms National Park workshop in York."