The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority is preparing a new Local Plan to cover the development period 2023-2040. We have reached the stage where we are able to consult on a set of preferred polices to set out the Authority’s direction of travel.
The preferred policies contain seven sections entitled; Core Policies, Access & Connectivity, Archaeology & Built Heritage, Community, Economy, Landscape and Natural Environment. Each contains a list of development objectives and a set of policies covering specific topics. For each policy there is an aim that describes what its intended outcome is.
The Local Plan is the vehicle for changing local planning policy, for example to respond to the latest evidence, to respond to a change in priorities or to maintain conformity with national policy. The main policy changes that are being proposed in this document are:
- to prepare a single Local Plan covering the whole of the post 2016 Yorkshire Dales National Park
- to set a housing target of 50 new dwellings per annum (850 over the plan period) spread across the various housing market areas
- to meet the target primarily on new allocated housing sites (to be determined) and from existing permissions
- A requirement for 50% affordable housing on sites in the south of the Park and 30% elsewhere
- A requirement for new development to demonstrate climate adaptation and low carbon measures
- A requirement that new development will deliver biodiversity net gain
- Flexibility for some new housing in the smaller settlements
- All new homes to be for permanent occupancy only
- Less flexibility for the conversion of traditional buildings to holiday uses
- A wider mix of uses on some business opportunity sites, to stimulate delivery
- Less flexibility for intensive agricultural development and more flexibility for nature friendly farming
- More flexibility for non-retail high street uses such as offices, food and drink, leisure, health services
- A new initiative to explore ‘rural estate development plans’
- Stronger protection of ancient woodland, ancient trees, water courses and the dark sky resource
How to respond to this consultation
This stage of consultation is about engaging stakeholders on the direction of policy travel. It is not yet a draft Plan so there is no justification, evidence, maps or explanation at this stage about how each of the policies will be implemented. What we are asking for is your comments about the direction the policies are taking and whether you think that is appropriate or not to the issues we are facing and the degree of influence we may have through planning policy.
- Consultation No.5 – Preferred options document (opens as a pdf)
- Sustainability Appraisal Preferred Options (opens as a pdf)
The date for responding to this consultation has now closed.
Response to consultation September 2022
Below is a summary of the response to the consultation. The comments are extracts from the full responses. Supporting statements have generally been removed in order to shorten the table and concentrate on comments and suggested amendments.
The Authority will now consider the comments in detail and use them to inform the draft version of the Local Plan next year.