Assoc. of Rural Communities
One of the objectives of the Association of Rural Communities (ARC) is to monitor the proceedings of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA). For that reason some of its committee members regularly attend the monthly YDNPA planning committee meetings, as well as the full Authority meetings. This has now developed into a news service with regular reports about YDNPA planning committee meetings -see below.
We need your support if we are to successfully lobby for more democracy within the Yorkshire Dales National Park and to act as a watchdog on the activities of the Authority. We want the voice of the people living and working in this area to be heard – locally, regionally and nationally. The membership is £5 per year, or £10 for parish councils. You can send us comments via reports on this website. To do so click on one of the reports below.
In September 2011 Natural England recommended that the boundaries of the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks should be extended. We now await the decision of Caroline Spelman, Defra Secretary of State. ARC believes there are other ways to protect the natural beauty of areas like the Howgills and the Lune Valley without creating an even larger under-resourced quango. It is also very concerned about the spiralling cost of this expansion. Do read Cumbria County Coun Kevin Lancaster‘s personal view and that of Mike Warden who, until he retired, worked as a planning officer with the YDNPA and then with Harrogate Borough Council which included Nidderdale AONB.
To cut back on costs many more decisions are being made by planning officers. So parish councils and residents need to be even more vigilant when planning applications are advertised locally. Applicants and residents can contact the district or county councillor who represents their area on the YDNPA planning committee and request that an application should be discussed by the committee if they are concerned about the possible decision that just one planning officer might make.
Reports of YDNPA planning committee meetings:
February 2012 – Dales Housing Development Plan and Planning committee decisions
Full Authority Meetings: