Call to help shape planning future of Yorkshire Dales National Park

People in the Yorkshire Dales National Park have until October 29 to respond to a public consultation that will shape future planning decisions on issues such as barn conversions, visitor facilities, local business development and visitor accommodation.

The options are the latest phase of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority’s (YDNPA) drive to create a new Local Plan for the period from 2015 to 2030.

The YDNPA’s head of sustainable development, Peter Stockton, said: “The Local Plan is the foundation upon which all the authority’s planning decisions are made, so it is vital that we hear people’s views on the future direction of the policies within it.”

Many of the responses received so far have focused on the national park’s traditional farm buildings.

One responder has noted: “I think there should be a ban on these barn conversions being any kind of second home, although I can’t see any harm in the farmer earning an income from turning it into self-catering holiday accommodation for tourists.”

The options are available on the National Park Authority’s website at www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/future-policy. Comments can be sent by email to: [email protected]. A draft plan will be produced for further public talks and a final version will be sent to the Communities and Local Government Secretary, Eric Pickles, for approval in 2015.