Plan to turn North Yorkshire cattery into home for local couple sparks debate over housing crisis

Several members of the North York Moors National Park Authority’s planning committee expressed frustration after hearing the policies could block a young couple from the area from transforming and extending the redundant building on a farm in open countryside outside Castleton into a local occupancy home.

An agent for the applicants said when converted, the building would blend into the landscape and called on the committee to recognise the benefits of finding a new use for the building, which others said could otherwise fall into disrepair and become a bigger “eyesore”.

Richard Findlay, of Danby Group Parish Council, said a parish survey had identified “a very strong local need” for homes for local couples and families and the applicant and his partner fitted the bill. He said all the easy to develop sites in Castleton had previously been identified, but the application on the former farm and cattery represented an opportunity for new businesses to come into the community.

Coun Findlay said: “We think this is a fantastic opportunity for something which has had a chequered history an opportunity to move on.”

The meeting heard members call for the authority’s policies over building conversions and open countryside to be set aside as one of the main aims of its Local Plan is to deliver more local needs housing to ensure the viability of villages.

Committee member Esk Valley division councillor Clive Pearson told the meeting there were no potential development sites left in Castleton and to build the homes that are needed it would be necessary to “spill out” into open countryside.

He said: “The schools have got to be kept open and the only way for that to happen is to have new children in the area. Without buildings like this being allowed the village will die, because it can’t get any bigger than it is now.”

The meeting heard the park authority had been consistent in its refusal for residential developments at the site over decades.

Another member, Scarborough councillor Guy Coulson, said: “Policies are there to be tweaked and changed a little bit. We can’t stay with the same policies year after year. ”

Objecting, resident Gary Warburton said he feared approving the application would set a precedent, opening the floodgates for sporadic developments in open countryside.

He said: “Let’s be very clear. This is an application for a residence slap bang in the middle of a field.”

Ahead of a decision being deferred to invite the applicants to scale back their proposal, the authority’s chairman, Jim Bailey, said while there was strong community support for the proposal, constistency was vital for public confidence in the planning process.

He said: “Sure policies can change, but there’s a process for changing policy, you can’t change policies on the hoof.”