1. Why is Exmoor National Park Authority selling land?The Authority is currently facing significant financial challenges and needs to manage its finances prudently.  The Authority is funded by DEFRA its funding was cut by about £1million in 2010.  Since then any increases ha not kept pace with inflation. The Estate is one of the largest of all the National Park Authorities and carries high maintenance costs, particularly on some of the smaller sites.
2. What will the Authority do with the sales proceeds?The capital receipts will enable us to re-invest in the remaining Estate;
3. How much land does the Authority own?Exmoor National Park Authority (ENPA) currently owns just under 7% of the National Park; just under 4,000 hectares of moorland and 600 hectares of woodland.. As well as land ENPA complex collection of buildings, owns its head office (Exmoor House), 3 National Park Centres, a Depot at Exford, our Centre for Outdoor Learning at Pinkery, an historic farmstead, public toilets (set within public car parks), other historic assets and buildings.
4. How much land is the Authority selling?The Authority is proposing to sell the following land:

   Property	Size (approx.)
   Cosgate Hill	24ha
   East Anstey Common	57ha
   Hawkridge Ridge Wood	1.6ha
   Timberscombe Wood	3ha
   Tudball Splatts	3ha
   Weir Cleeve Wood	6ha
   Total	94.6 ha

   The total area of land to be sold is approximately 94ha.
5. Is the Authority allowed to sell land?Yes, but in doing so the Authority considers the following,
   • Does it have a core value in delivering National Park purposes?
   • Is there potential for enhancement or unlocking latent value in the future?
   • Does it generate significant income or have the potential to do so?
   • Is it essential to the operational function of ENPA?
   • Are there legal constraints on disposal?
   • Does it represent a net liability to the Authority, in terms of cost, risk or difficulty of management?
   • Has the reason for acquisition/ownership become invalid? e.g. the asset is no longer under threat because of statutory protection
   After a review of the whole estate the Authority agreed that 6 propoerties should be sold in order to rationalise the state, reduce ongoing liabilities and provide capital for reinvestment..
6. Will public rights of access be reduced across these properties as a consequence of disposal to a private landowner?There will not be a reduction in public access as a result of these proposed land sales.
7. Does the Authority intend to sell any more land at a later date?

The Authority does not currently plan to dispose of any additional land following the disposal of the properties listed above. However, we cannot rule out the prospect of future property sales in the future as the financial situation in the short-medium terms remains uncertain.