Balancing act

Their rugged beauty – beautifully illustrated by the rolling moorside north of York or the enduring charm of the Yorkshire Dales – is one reason why they are priceless assets that continue to underpin this region’s tourist industry. Build industrial plants which are not in keeping with the area, or erect wind turbines in ill-judged locations, and visitors will simply not visit Yorkshire in such numbers and support the rural economy.

Yet the local residents who oppose such developments are, invariably, the self-same individuals who warn, with justification, that there are insufficient jobs in rural areas for young people – and that the Government’s enterprise zones do not encompass those countryside communities where people are living in poverty.

It is a delicate balance that needs to be struck; the need for economic progress, particularly schemes that are suited to the natural environment, with a requirement to protect the views that attract visitors in such phenomenal numbers.

However, if compromises do need to be made for planning, economic or strategic reasons, the local authorities and park planners should – where possible – put an onus on the developers concerned to skill local people so they have the best possible chance of obtaining jobs in the future, and fulfilling their own potential.