Pip’s Patch

Tightening up on planning applications -

At the YDNPA planning committee meeting on September 13 the Association of Rural Communities (ARC) was assured by the Authority that the rules for planning applications will be tightened up. At the meeting the Association’s chairman, Alastair Dinsdale, asked the following question: “In these days of computer graphics and in light of the arguments made at the appeal hearing concerning the new houses at Thornton Rust Hall, surely it is time for the YDNPA to insist that all building plans submitted for planning permission should only be accepted if they are “to scale” and are clearly marked with the datum point and the finished height.”

In response the chairman of the planning committee, Graham Dalton, said that at the October meeting members would be asked to approve a report from officers stating that all building plans should show the existing height levels and finished floor levels with levels relating to a fixed datum point off the site. They should also show the proposals in relation to adjoining buildings.

Mr Dinsdale had attended a hearing in August following an appeal against an enforcement notice after the roofs of two houses in Thornton Rust in Wensleydale had not been lowered. He was very concerned about how the appellants’ representatives had argued that the height of the building could not be questioned not only because of the lack of a datum point on the plans but also because these were stamped “Do not Scale”. In his appeal decision, the inspector David Pinner, stated : “The appeal on this ground is based on the lack of notation on the approved plan to indicate the existing ground level or the proposed height of the building.” He did conclude that the development was unacceptable and upheld the YDNPA enforcement notice that the roofs should be removed and lowered, giving the appellants nine months to comply with the order.

County Coun John Blackie said that Hawes and High Abbotside Parish Council had also made representations to the YDNPA planning department once it had realised that the height of a new building at the Wensleydale Creamery would make it very dominant. On the plans for that the height had not been given. He agreed that the YDNPA needed a new protocol and that it should insist that the datum point and height must be shown on building plans. “I applaud what ARC is doing because we do need that information,” he said.

Solar panels at the YDNPA‘s Bainbridge office -

The YDNPA planning committee voted unanimously to allow the Authority to install 40 photovoltaic panels on the south facing roof of its office in Bainbridge – a move which County Coun John Blackie said will open the door for many more households in the Yorkshire Dales to have solar panels.

He pointed out after the meeting that he knew of several instances recently where the Authority’s planning officers had advised that people could not install solar panels on buildings where the permitted development rights had been removed. He asked at the planning committee if the permitted development rights for the YDNPA office had been removed but did not receive an answer. “I will suggest that people put in planning applications and I will call them to the committee and remind it that ‘what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander’,” he said.

On Tuesday he reminded the committee that it was only two to three years ago that the Authority was involved with what he called the “Carperby Affair” when a resident was told to remove one solar panel from the roof of her house.  “I am only just warning planning officers that once we have it on our buildings it will be used as an example for others.”

William Weston, the Authority’s member champion for climate change, congratulated the planning officers who had worked so hard to find dark solar panels which would be less visible.

(In the past few months, under designated powers,  planning officers gave permission for the following: photovoltaic panels on an existing farm building roof at Wharfe House Farm, Hartlington; installation  of 16 ground mounted solar photovoltaic panels at Hurries Farm, Otterburn ; and for solar panels to be installed at Askrigg primary school. )

Grassington and the problem of large milk tankers -

The family dairy business of David Oversby in Grassington has become so successful that the owners have had to find a new route for milk tankers. At present about 30 heavy goods vehicles pass through Grassington’s Main Street and along Chapel Street each day due to Town Head Farm having expanded in the past 15 years to a 25,000L dairy capacity. This has often caused severe congestion in the Main Street it was reported at the YDNPA planning committee meeting.

Chapel Street is so narrow that some residents could open a window and touch the milk tankers. One of the residents, Laura Shuckburgh, said she had a young son and added: “It is a safety issue for me – my door opens straight out onto Chapel Street.” She described how pedestrians had to squeeze into doorways if they met a milk tanker when walking along that street.

Bob Hargreaves also lives in Chapel Street. He had provided the committee with photographs of how close the tankers came to the houses and said: “Can you imagine the noise levels, obstruction, pollution from the exhaust experienced by residents every day.”  His photographs also illustrated the subsidence which had occurred due to the heavy traffic. The houses in Chapel Street do not have foundations and some have suffered damage.  He added that the street was part of the Dalesway and so many walkers make use it.

Other residents asked the planning committee to defer a decision until the parish council had held a site meeting with the county council’s highways department. They want an extension of a 30mph speed limit and a stop sign to be agreed before the route was altered. Those arguing for deferment included planning committee member Andrew Colley  – who then left the meeting after declaring an interest. He and his wife run a bed and breakfast business along the new route.

David Oversby, of Town Head Farm, had applied to demolish a barn at the entrance to the farm so that large vehicles could turn into Bull Ing Lane rather than Chapel Street. He has agreed to create two rather one passenger refuges along Bull Ing Lane following a request from the parish council. He also needed permission from the YDNPA to alter the junction of Bull Ing Lane with Grass Wood Lane so that there was better visibility and large vehicles could turn left.

The committee decided not to defer a decision and voted unanimously in favour of these proposed changes. County Coun John Blackie suggested that residents should raise a petition if they wanted the highways department to alter speed limits.

Malham -

The  YDNPA planning committee voted unanimously in favour of the officer’s recommendation that the section 106 agreement on Hall Close in Peart Lane, Malham should not be altered from a rural workers occupancy restriction to a local occupancy restriction.

The parish council had asked the planning committee to stick to the rules and regulations. The planning officer reported that the applicants had not followed the Authority’s adopted advertising procedure for selling such a house and so had not adequately demonstrated that there was no demand for a rural based worker’s dwelling in the locality.