THE national park is set to end the year with budget surplus, which, considering the last year, is “rather strange to report” its finance officer has said.

A final budget report will be prepared in the coming weeks but members of the audit and corporate services review committee received a verbal update from Richard Griffiths, finance manager, at a meeting on Wednesday, May 12.

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park had lost around half a million pounds against its predicted budget for 2020-21, a quarter of a million of that from the loss of car parking charges due to lock downs.

Other income losses were made by Coast to Coast, its magazine, rental franchises and centre closures, the committee heard, with the overall loss of income around £500,000.

Increased cost also had to be met including around £5,000 extra a month for ensure single occupancy in authority fleet vehicles, Mr Griffiths added.

However, Welsh Government Covid funding for lost income and other grant funding, as well as around £200,000 of furlough income and £45,000 rate relief the authority will overall end the year “in a surplus position, which is rather strange to report considering what’s happened,” said Mr Griffiths.