Dales authority approves plans to build 240 homes in 15 years

The housing development plan, the first of its kind, has identified 33 sites in the National Park where 240 new homes will be built over the next 15 years, half of which will be affordable housing.

Despite fierce opposition to some of the proposals, the plan was approved on Tuesday by members of the Yorkshire Dales National Park planning authority and will now go before a planning inspector early next year.

Councillor John Blackie, a member of the working group that helped develop the blueprints, said: "I'm delighted at the news.

"The authority has taken a bold step as these plans have not been without their critics but it is absolutely vital to provide new homes.

"The number one concern for residents in the Dales over the past five years has been that of affordable housing for local people.

"A lot of people's concerns over where the homes will be built have been taken into account and we have gone down from 150 sites first proposed to the number we have agreed now.

"We are in desperate need of affordable housing within the length and breadth of the Yorkshire Dales – I welcome the scheme."

This week's announcement follows a wide public consultation that has taken place during the summer.

Among the schemes taken out of the blueprint following the consultation were plans to build 12 homes on two sites in Embsay, near Skipton, which provoked a barrage of nearly 200 letters of complaint from residents, and another scheme proposed for Grassington.

The biggest single development scheme to be given the go-ahead is a development of 30 homes in Sedbergh.

Peter Stockton, senior planning officer for the national park authority, said: "This is the first time the national park authority has looked comprehensively at releasing sites for new homes.

"The important thing that is driving this is we have a particular shortage of affordable homes across the national park.

"The majority of residents recognise this need and people are behind us trying to do something about this but there has still been substantial objection to some of the sites."

Yesterday the Yorkshire Post revealed that soaring unemployment and savage financial cuts are set to compound the biggest housing crisis in post-war Britain which has left thousands of people across Yorkshire priced out of the property market.

The problem is particularly bad in North Yorkshire where a critical lack of cheaper homes in the Dales has sparked a rural exodus among younger generations who are unable to get a foot on the property ladder. This, in consequence, has seriously affected business and education.

And as many as half of all houses in vast swathes of the Yorkshire Dales are now holiday homes.

The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority says 48 per cent of all houses in Arkengarthdale are now holiday homes, while about two thirds of the local population are elderly sparking further fears over the future of the area.

Swaledale and Wensleydale are also said to be particularly suffering while villages like Gunnerside and Langthwaite are empty outside of tourist season.

In 2005, the park authority introduced a ban on new homes in the Dales being sold to outsiders, to so local people could afford accommodation in their own areas.

Yvonne Peacock, chair of the housing working group, said: "It is unusual for the YDNPA to allocate land for housing, but affordable housing is the biggest concern residents have and unfortunately we have had to break some eggs to release land to meet this need in the National Park.

"The decision taken yesterday means we are one step nearer being able to deliver more affordable housing in the National Park – and that can only be good news."