The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) has contacted landowners, developers, builders, planning agents and Housing Associations to urge them to consider building new homes in the Park.
In an email, the YDNPA stresses that its planning policies have recently changed, with one of the main objectives being to increase housing supply. The new, more flexible Local Plan sets a target of getting 55 new homes built in the National Park each year (see note). Last year, 39 homes were built. A lack of affordable housing in the Dales is thought to be one of the factors affecting the ability of local communities to retain and attract young people and families.
‘We want to nudge builders into action,’ said YDNPA Chairman, Carl Lis. ‘New build housing is now permitted in more towns and villages across the National Park than ever before. We have put together a long list of sites that have the benefit of an existing planning permission or housing allocation. Our message is simple: if you bring forward high quality schemes for these sites, we will approve them.’
The YDNPA adopted the Local Plan in December last year. Since then, proposals have been approved for 79 new homes, with new policies on converting roadside barns and other buildings to local occupancy dwellings accounting for 50 of these permissions.
Carl Lis said there were other changes that builders would find attractive: ‘Policies now permit more open market housing than before, making it more financially viable for developers to build the affordable and local occupancy homes that are so badly needed by local communities. Affordable and local occupancy housing is also subject to more flexible criteria. The Authority will negotiate on the mix of housing provided on development sites.’
A guide to the new policies has been published HERE
