Communities across the Yorkshire Dales National Park are set to benefit from a new Local Plan that places local people at its heart following a thorough six-year process and independent examination.
The Local Plan is used to guide decisions on new development – setting out where homes, businesses and infrastructure should go, and how the National Park will be protected and enhanced over time. The new Local Plan for 2025–2040 sets out a clear approach for supporting local communities while looking after the qualities that make the Dales special.
One of the most significant changes is a new requirement that new homes must be lived in as a ‘principal residence’, meaning they have to be lived in and cannot be turned into second homes or holiday lets. This means new developments will directly support local people – particularly younger households and working families – who want to live and work in the National Park. The Plan also:
- provides capacity to meet local housing needs by allocating land for nearly 400 new homes, with a strong focus on affordable housing, and allows small-scale housing development in around 100 villages to help meet local needs.
- supports the rural economy, by backing farm diversification, rural businesses and sustainable tourism that benefits local communities.
- promotes growth that will protect the National Park, such as low-carbon energy, better walking and cycling routes, and stronger safeguards for landscapes, wildlife and dark skies.
Derek Twine, Chair of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority said: “This Local Plan is a real step forward for the Dales and, most importantly, for the communities living and working here. It represents the culmination of years of consultation, evidence gathering and public input.
“The Plan strikes the right balance – supporting jobs, homes and investment while protecting the landscapes and special qualities that make the National Park such a unique place. It gives communities and businesses the certainty and confidence they need to plan for the future.
It has taken seven years to reach this point, and now the real work begins: bringing together housing authorities, economic development bodies, local authorities and other partners to turn this Plan into reality, and to deliver the shared ambitions and objectives set out in the National Park Management Plan 2025–30.
I’d keep housing to a necessary minimum just for locals and concentrate on expanding the National Park, grassing over the horrible abandoned old white quarry scars in the Dales and planting more native trees.