Planning policy
The National Park Authority is calling for new housing land to help tackle the shortfall of affordable housing. Expressions of interest in sites should be submitted to the Authority before noon Friday 27 February 2009. You can listen to a short discussion about the call for sites process here (opens audio file).
Details and an application form are available here.
If you'd like to hear more about housing issues in rural areas why notdownload an episode of the Radio 4 programme ‘The Price of Property’ (broadcast in March 2007) which looked at housing issues in rural areas and featured the Yorkshire Dales National Park and our Local Plan policies.
(The programme is in MP3 format and can be played using any audio player such as Windows Media Player or Real Player. Left-click on the links to listen straight away, or download it onto your computer by right clicking the image and selecting 'save target as....'.)
Planning policy
The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority is responsible for setting local planning policy. This is the strategy, guidance and criteria that the Authority will use to determine proposals for the development and change of use of land and buildings within the National Park boundary.
Our planning policies are drafted to achieve specific objectives such as safeguarding archaeological sites. They also have regard to other local and regional objectives such as the provision of affordable housing or the diversification of agriculture.
All of the Authority’s planning policies are set out in the Development Plan. Planning applications must be determined in accordance with the Development Plan, except where the Authority considers that other planning considerations are more important to the public interest.
The Development Plan consists of the Yorkshire Dales Local Plan 2006, various ‘saved policies’ from the Minerals and Waste Local Plan 1998 and the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Spatial Strategy May 2008. The Cumbria and North Yorkshire Structure Plans no longer apply inside the National Park.
The Yorkshire Dales Local Plan 2006
This is an interactive version of our Local Plan which can be viewed through the Planning Portal
The Yorkshire Dales Local Plan 2006 (text only)
The Yorkshire Dales Local Plan 2006
This link takes you to a website page from which you can download all the Local Plan maps
The Minerals & Waste Local Plan 1998
Distinguishes between saved policies and those deleted in September 2007.
The Local Plan refers to our Design Guide, available below:
The Yorkshire and Humber Regional Spatial Strategy was adopted in May 2008. It forms the top tier of the Development Plan for the National Park, including the area within Cumbria.
National planning policy does not form part of the Development Plan but is, however, an important influence at every level. National planning policy can also be a material planning consideration which can sometimes outweigh the Development Plan, particularly if it is more up-to-date. National planning policy statements and guidance can be found on the Department for Communities and Local Government website (opens in new window).
Local Plans, Mineral Plans and Structure Plans are, however, being phased out and will eventually be replaced with a new system known as the ‘Local Development Framework’. The Local Development Framework together with the Regional Spatial Strategy will eventually form the Development Plan.
Work on the Yorkshire Dales Development Framework is now underway. Find out more by visiting our Yorkshire Dales Development Framework section.
