Pip’s Patch

An ARC News Service report following the May 2012 meeting of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority ‘s  (YDNPA ) planning committee with decisions regarding a telecommunications mast at Sedbergh ; the need for an agricultural worker’s dwelling at Fell View Farm, Hetton;  extensions and alterations to the Station Inn at Ribblehead; the conversion of The Stable at Marske into holiday lets; and new planning conditions for Swaleview Caravan Park  in Swaledale.

Sedbergh – Local planning authorities can no longer question the need for a telecommunications system as that right has been removed under the government’s new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Nor can a local authority  determine if there are sufficient health safeguards for residents if an applicant can show that the  proposal meets International Commission guidelines for public exposure to radiation levels. This was reported by the planning officer dealing with the application by Electricity North West to construct a 20m high telecommunications pole with antenna at its primary substation off Busk Lane in Sedbergh.

The application according to the NPPF could only be determined on planning issues. But neither the members of the planning committee nor over 200 Sedbergh residents were convinced that they could not question the need for the mast. Andrew Fleck, the head teacher of Sedbergh School, spoke on behalf of 211 residents when he queried the technology and the height of the mast.

N Yorks County Coun Roger Harrison-Topham said that the mast would be a particularly bad blot on the landscape. He accepted that if the committee refused the application the company would apply again and then he wanted the technological need to  be appraised by an independent advisor.

The company had explained the mast was essential to manage the supply of electricity and remotely manage the high voltage equipment at the substation by having a clear line of sight for radio signals to be transmitted to it from the rest of the Electricity North West  network. The committee was told that the BT network would not work and the only safe and secure method was via radio transmissions.

The planning officers had negotiated with company to have a mono-pod design which was half the width of the lattice tower originally proposed, so as to try and minimise the impact upon the landscape and the neighbourhood. To retain line of sight it was necessary, however, for the top of the mast to be above the trees.

The majority of the committee members agreed that the mast would have a detrimental impact not only on the landscape but also on those living near it, particularly some of those in Queen’s Drive, and that there were health and safety issues. They also wanted the technology to be reassessed to find out if such a high mast was really necessary. As they did not accept the planning officer’s recommendation to approve the application this decision will have to be ratified at the June meeting.

Hetton -  How does one define “open countryside” committee member, Chris Armitage, asked when the application by F Reeday and Sons to erect an agricultural worker’s dwelling beside Fell View Farm at Hetton was discussed.  “This (application) meets all our criteria except one – this is a grey area,” commented Mr Armitage.

The committee heard that there was huge local support for the application which was seen as a way of sustaining the future of the farm and encouraging a young family to stay in the Dales. Craven Dt Coun John Roberts commented: “If the children go there is a domino effect with schools closing etc.”

The farm is now mainly worked by Matthew Reeday who lives in a very  small cottage in Hetton with his wife and two young children. That cottage is owned by three of the Reeday family but is not part of the farm partnership. A legal agreement on the original farmhouse means that it will be inherited by those not involved in the farm business. It was pointed out that the cost of houses in Hetton  is too high for farm workers like Mr Reeday.

The planning officer argued that the house would be in open countryside as the site was outside the village boundary. The only basis then for approving such an application was if it could be shown that accommodation could not be provided by using other houses within the control of the applicant. Richard Graham, head of development management, said that the committee could approve the application on the basis that there were legal and financial circumstances which made it impossible for the Reedays to do that.

As the committee voted unanimously in favour of approving the application Craven Dt Coun Robert Heseltine asked if this decision needed to be referred back to the June meeting. Mr Graham said the planning officer would need time to work on preparing the legal agreement to tie the dwelling to the farm business.

Ribblehead – It was unanimously agreed the application for full planning permission for extensions and alterations to the Station Inn and its  bunkhouse should be approved. The conditions include the removal of the caravan beside the pub.  Cumbria County Coun Roger Bingham said that although the pub was one of the most visited in the Yorkshire Dales the site was a mess at present. “I do hope it will be tidied up.” The extensions to the pub include an improved kitchen at the rear and enlarging the dining room and the toilets.  The facilities in bunkhouse will be improved and further accommodation will be provided for staff. There will be a new vehicular access.

Marske  – Sue Ridley, the vice chairman of Marske and New Forest parish meeting, begged the committee to work with Roger Tempest of the Rural Concepts Group, to preserve The Stables near Marske in Swaledale. “It is a beautiful building and some of the stonework is stunning.” But it is on the English Heritage At Risk list and the roof is leaking badly. “If you turn down this application what is the alternative?” she asked.

Mrs Ridley explained that the Rural Concepts Group had been the only buyer interested in purchasing The Stables from the parish meeting two years ago. Committee members visited the 18th century building on April 20 to consider if there were sufficient conservation benefits if it was converted into nine holiday lets, and if the plans put forward would mean that too many of the 19th century features would be lost.

Following further consultation with the Rural Concepts Group a number of amendments to the original plans were agreed. These included retaining some Victorian sash windows, iron mangers and some feeding troughs, and 18th century graffiti. The developers will make a photographic record of the building prior to work starting.

Although the amended plans were not available at the May meeting it was agreed unanimously that the application could be delegated to officers to complete the planning process. The members accepted that there was an urgent need now to preserve the building and that Mr Tempest had an excellent record for restoring listed buildings throughout the country.

The committee chairman, Graham Dalton, was concerned that it would be possible for the community have long term use of a room, on a rental basis, at The Stables. Mrs Ridley said that the WI and the parish meeting would make use of that room. She like Harold  Brown (Grinton parish council)  remembered the days when the villagers held dances, celebrations and many other community events at The Stables.

Swaleview Caravan Park- At the December meeting the committee had requested that the owners of Swaleview Caravan Park, Andrew and Eileen Carter, should enter into some legal agreements. The Carters, however, had replied that they felt that the conditions on a new planning permission allowing seasonal use on all 30 touring caravan pitches would be sufficient.

The conditions included defining touring caravans as those which can be towed by cars ;  that an up-to-date  register will need to be kept to show that all those using the 30 seasonal pitches between March 1 and October 31 had  permanent homes elsewhere; and that from November 1 to February 28 no caravans could be on those pitches for more than 28 consecutive nights.

Hudswell parish council was  very concerned that lodges might replace caravans on those pitches and so be used as either second or even first homes. It also did not want to see a further loss of short stay touring pitches. Richmondshire Dt Coun Malcolm Gardner asked if it was possible to enforce the conditions which stopped the site becoming a permanent village. Mr Graham said the conditions were enforceable and officers did check to make sure no-one was living permanently on such a site even though that was very time consuming.

The majority of the committee accepted the planning officer’s recommendation to approve the application subject to 12 conditions.

An ARC News Service report of the decisions made at the April meeting of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority‘s ( YDNPA ) planning committee.

Carperby  – Since the March meeting the owner of Alpine Cottage in Carperby had submitted amended plans showing a reduction in the size of the single storey extension and the removal of a store. N Yorks County Coun Roger Harrison-Topham said that the latter especially changed the situation considerably as he had felt that the store beside a patio looked like it could become an extension to the living space. Chris Armitage and  Cumbria County Coun Roger Bingham agreed with him that the alterations were sufficient to change the opinion of the committee. N Yorks County Coun John Blackie reminded them that the majority of the villagers and the parish council were still against giving approval for the extension to the cottage. A resident, Colin Gavin, told the committee he passionately objected not only because it was such an iconic old miner’s cottage but also because adding the extension would mean that the dwelling would no longer be affordable for local residents. Last month the committee responded to the request of the villagers and the parish council to refuse permission for the proposed alterations but that decision had to be ratified at the April meeting. This time the majority of the committee voted to accept the planning officer’s recommendation to approve the altered plans.

Marske – It was decided that there should be a site visit to the Stable Block at Marske as the scheme to transform this Grade II listed building into nine holiday units was complex. Marske Stable Block  is in the open countryside and is on English Heritage’s “At Risk” register. Although the YDNPA would like to see it in use in order to conserve it, its senior listed buildings officer stated that the plans to remove the Victorian features from this Georgian building, including windows and stable boxes, would be harmful to the historic and architectural significance of the stables. The application includes alterations to the Coach House.

Threshfield  – It is now possible for the owners of Wood Nook Caravan Park to vary the number of touring caravans and tents on that site at any one time as a condition imposed in 1977 has been lifted by the planning committee. That condition stipulated that there could be 30 caravans and 20 tents in that park. Although this may mean less tents on occasions it was pointed out that there was also a camp site with pitches for 31 tents at  Wood Nook.  The planning officer explained that after months of discussion with the owners it was agreed that 12 pitches would be removed from the caravan park and there would be extensive planting along the southern side  and the western corner to match the adjacent woodland. This will partially shield the site from a footpath. Two new pitches will be added on the eastern side of the site. Eleven pitches will be retained for the existing statics so the maximum number of touring caravans at any time would be 39. As compared with 30 tourers it was felt that this would have a marginal impact upon highway safety. Three members of the committee queried the possible loss of camping pitches.  Coun Blackie was the only one who voted against granting permission as he felt it was important to maintain and even increase the number of camping pitches available in the Yorkshire Dales.

ARC News Service report on decisions made at the ( YDNPA ) Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority ‘s  planning committee meeting on March 13 concerning applications involving: the need for a local based gritting service in Arkengarthdale ; a proposed extension to what villagers describe as an iconic cottage in Carperby; a proposal to build a “local needs” house within the Special Open Space at Starbotton; the provision of additional parking when Horton-in-Ribblesdale experiences mass invasions by those on sponsored walks over the Three Peaks; restricting what was seen as the “urban sprawl” of Long Ashes near Threshfield; an open space beside a listed building at Millthrop , Sedbergh; and Wisp Hill stables at Grassington.

Arkengarthdale - The majority of the YDNPA planning committee members did not accept that a barn in the middle of a field at Langthwaite in Arkengarthdale should be converted into a two-bedroomed dwelling for a rural worker. Clark Stone, who is 78-years-old, told the committee that the house would be for a man who would be fully employed with snow clearing, contracting and agricultural work on his family’s farm. He explained that  when conditions were very bad in winter it was impossible for the district council’s gritting wagon to reach Arkengarthdale until either he or his son had spread grit on the roads. It took two men to fill the spreader with grit.He now wanted to retire and they needed someone else to assist with that job. Arkengarthdale parish council had told the committee that it fully supported his application and looked forward to the services he provided to continue with the help of a worker living locally. Coun Blackie asked the committee to approve the application. “They provide an absolutely essential service clearing snow right up to Tan Hill. If the Stones are not there I don’t know what will happen to this community.” He emphasised the need for more social housing in Arkengarthdale and that it should not be restricted to just two small villages. He was supported by Richmondshire District Couns Bob Gale (Reeth and Arkengarthdale) and Malcolm Gardner (Swaledale) who described why it was so important for the residents of Arkengarthdale to retain a locally based gritting service in winter. “If we let these people down we should be ashamed of ourselves,” said Coun Gardner.  During the debate the legal adviser, Clare Bevan, told the committee that according to local and national policies there had to be a fundamental requirement for a rural worker in a location to justify converting such a barn into a dwelling. She said that this application failed that functional test as the work was more seasonal than permanent.

Coun Blackie later wrote to Richard Graham, head of development management, about Ms Bevan’s intervention mid-way through the debate . If the committee had decided to approve the application against officer recommendation it would have been referred back to the April meeting for further debate. Coun Blackie stated: “Clare’s intervention could be regarded, in its content and delivery, as coming from a Member who was strongly opposed to granting an approval. Certainly in my opinion, and the opinion of other Members present, Clare’s intervention had that effect on Members who might have been swayed by the arguments to be in favour of the application. I think in the timing of her intervention (that) it did unbalance the debate and introduce an element of unfairness against the applicant.

Carperby – Carperby cum Thoresby parish council strongly objected to a proposed extension to Alpine Cottage arguing that it would cause harm to an iconic building in the village. The clerk to the parish council explained that Carperby was a conservation area and Alpine Cottage had been specifically mentioned in the Designation Statement.  It was probably built in the 18th century and was the only one of its kind which remained in the village. “It is seen by residents as a valued part of the built heritage of the village,” she stated. The parish council did not accept the planning officer’s evaluation that the extension would not dominate the rest of the cottage but rather would be subservient and harmonious to it. David Chapman told the committee that he and his wife had sought the advice of the YDNPA planning officer, and had followed that advice when they applied for the single-storey extension (for a lounge) and a store. Ten members accepted the parish council’s objections and voted against the officer’s recommendation to approve the application. This will need to be ratified at the April meeting.

Starbotton – Craven Dt Coun John Roberts told the planning committee that it would be inconsistent to approve the construction of a house on an area designated by the YDNPA as Special Open Space after it had issued enforcement notices to protect open spaces in Kettlewell which was in the same parish. “This is one of the most protected sites that we have in this area. It is an important open space in a conservation area in the national park. This was our designation. This application goes against eight of the Park’s saved policies,” Coun Roberts said. He added: “I understand the need for housing in the parish … but we are here to protect and enhance the environment.” County Coun John Blackie had argued that more “local need” houses were required in the area to safeguard the future of the pubs and the school. As there would be a S106 agreement on the house it could only be sold to those who fulfilled the criteria for “local need” and so would sell for up to 15 per cent less than the open  market value. Kettlewell-with-Starbotton parish council had pointed out that this was the second application for a local occupancy dwelling in Starbotton from the same applicant and the first property was still vacant. The YDNPA’s head of development management, Richard Graham, told the committee that the need for another such house had not been demonstrated. He stated  there was no material benefit to outweigh the policy not to allow construction on such an open space. At the February meeting the majority of the committee had voted to approve the erection of a two-bedroomed house within the Special Open Space by the beck but as that was against officer recommendation the decision had to be referred back to the next meeting. The majority at the March meeting voted against approving the application.

Horton in Ribblesdale – It was agreed to give  permission for three years for a field  off  Station Road in Horton in Ribblesdale to be used for temporary parking for a total of 57 days a year, with no parking there between October and March. This, it was felt, would provide sufficient time for a traffic management plan to be developed to enable the village to cope with the thousands who take part in sponsored Three Peaks walks. Horton in Ribblesdale parish council had asked the planning committee to refuse permission to allow the field to be used for parking for more than the 28 days allowed under permitted development until that plan had been produced. Some parish councillors felt that there was a need for better organisation of available parking space rather than providing more capacity in general. At the planning committee the majority agreed that the conditions (secured with a S106 agreement)  should include restricting cars from being parked too close to the houses at one end of the field; that parking (with no overnight accommodation) would be limited to Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays according to a schedule of events provided by the landowner; and that parking or camping on another field owned by the applicant should be restricted.  The landowner will be asked to provide information to those preparing the traffic management plan.

Long Ashes – Allowing the Long Ashes Caravan Park near Threshfield to increase in size was compared to urban sprawl by planning committee member, William Weston. “We already have a site which is bigger than many Dales’ communities. The idea of increasing urban sprawl in this location is really extraordinary given how big the site is already,” he said. Lakeland Leisure Estates Ltd had applied for full planning permission to redevelop and extend the park by adding 51 static caravans, 64 touring caravans and 22 camping pods plus the erection of some buildings, including a toilet block. “The chutzpah of putting this forward is breathtaking,” commented N Yorks County Coun Roger Harrison-Topham.  Coun Roberts stated that if at Easter all the bed spaces at Long Ashes were filled its population would be equal to that of Threshfield and Grassington combined. The good agricultural fields that the park owners proposed to extend  into would then become brown field sites, Coun Roberts  said. He was also concerned about the sewerage system at the park, and the safety of cars exiting onto the B6160. Threshfield parish council had unanimously opposed the application. The agent for Lakeland Leisure Estates explained that more information could be provided about the drainage and sewerage, and that there would be a landscape scheme which would include tree planting. The extension of the park would create 13 more jobs and a considerable financial input  into the local economy, she said.

Grassington – It was agreed that the owner of Wisp Hill stables should be given nine months to comply with an enforcement notice. In December 2005 planning permission was given for the construction of new stables, workshop and storage units and the demolition of an old barn. The old barn has, however, been retained and three local small businesses are based there. The enforcement officer reported that the owner had now submitted a plan for reducing the size of the old barn. It was hoped that a compromise could be found within nine months so that local jobs could be protected. The enforcement notice also includes the removal of the concrete wall enclosure created to form a horse turn out area.

Hawes – Residents in Hawes thoroughly approved of The Caravan Club’s Brown Moor site, Coun Blackie told the committee. It was agreed that the site was well screened by trees and shrubs and there should be no problem with removing 12 static pitches and replacing them with ten for touring caravans. Approval was given for the removal of the static pitches and construction of new all weather serviced ones, the relocation of the existing bin compound and some new planting. After these changes there will be no caravans on the site from January 3 to March 16 each year.

Sedbergh – The committee agreed with the planning officer that a wall built to enclose part of the grassy area in front of Abbot Holme at Millthrop,Sedbergh, would detract considerably from the beauty of the open space which had been in existence since the mid 19th century. It would also have an adverse impact upon Abbot Holme which is a listed building. The application for a 1.2m high stone boundary wall was therefore rejected.

ARC News Service report -  The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority ( YDNPA ) has stood firm on its decision to include small sites for affordable housing at Aysgarth, Thornton Rust and Low Row. The planning inspector who assessed the Dales Housing Development Plan rejected those sites. After the full Authority meeting on Tuesday, February 14, the chairman, Carl Lis, state: “We have asked the inspector as nicely as we can to reconsider his decision. We appreciate the work he has done but we would like him to look at these again.”

What particularly concerned the YDNPA members was that part of Wensleydale would be left without affordable housing sites.It was likely that four houses could be constructed on the site behind the village institute at Aysgarth and two more at the east end of Thornton Rust. Only one site had been proposed at Muker (for up to two houses). It was also expected that two houses could have been built on the Low Row site rejected by the inspector. The YDNPA had put forward a second site (for about two houses) at Low Row.

The objective of the Dales Housing Development Plan is to provide affordable housing for local people. The planning inspector also asked the Authority to clarify what it would do if an allocated site would not be viable to be developed with 50% affordable housing. It has been proposed that, in order to encourage landowners to submit sites 50% would be affordable housing and the rest would be restricted by legal agreement to “local housing” so that the house could not become second or holiday homes and the price would be reduced thus making them more accessible to households within the Park. The onus will be on the developer to prove why an allocated site could not be developed at 50% affordability. It was agreed on Tuesday that: “If viability at 50% affordable housing is not possible then the Authority may negotiate an increase in the proportion of local market housing compared to affordable housing.” The consultation period on all the changes being proposed by the YDNPA should run from the week of February 20 until April 10.

The Three Peaks Challenge and parking in Horton-in-Ribblesdale: A decision on the application to extend the amount of time that a field by the New Inn Bridge could be used for visitor parking was deferred by the planning committee until its  March meeting. This may allow time for the preparation of a traffic management plan for the village but the committee  agreed that the decision should not be delayed any longer. The owners have applied to use the field for parking for 70 days between April and October each year. The planning officer recommended that it could be used for parking for only 57 days from April to September, and that it could not be used for overnight accommodation by those with tents or caravans.

Horton in Ribblesdale parish council asked the committee to refuse the application. It stated: “It is essential that the wider issue of the impact on the village and the surrounding area of the increasing number of sponsored walks be addressed before there can be a sensible consideration of what provision should be made to accommodate visitors and their vehicles.”

The North Yorkshire branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England ( CPRE) wrote to the YDNPA to express its concern about mass walks. It stated: “It is necessary now to protect the countryside against the damage done by too many feet in one place. The CPRE considers damage can be caused not only to the ecostructure but also to villages in or adjacent to the Parks which become swamped by excessive numbers of visitors. We consider that every effort must be made to spread visitor numbers to places throughout the Parks.” And added: “Perhaps alternate routes could be worked out to give the Three Peaks a rest.”

The YDNPA’s recreation and tourism manager, however, felt that the Three Peaks walks were of such national significance that it would be difficult to persuade people to go elsewhere. The only alternative is to manage the numbers visiting the area.  Some charity events attract between 400 to 1000 participants. (See Pen-y-ghent cafe )

Grassington – The owner of some old council garages in Grassington asked for and received a Valentines Day present from the YDNPA planning committee on Tuesday, February 14, when her plans for a one-bedroom bungalow on that site were approved. Mrs Mary Wilkinson told the committee that she wanted to have a retirement home within walking distance of the town centre. She had agreed to set the building back by a metre but a neighbour told the committee that the front porch would still impede access to her garage. Another neighbour said that the bungalow would affect their privacy and greatly reduce the amount of parking space in the area.

Grassington parish council was not prepared to support the application as it felt the neighbours concerns had not been properly addressed. The committee, however, accepted the recommendation of the planning officer that although the bungalow would be close to these two adjoining properties it would not have a negative impact upon the amenity of the neighbours or cause access problems. The YDNPA legal officer advised that it was a civil matter if any scaffolding during the construction of the bungalow caused access problems.

Hawkswick – The committee approved the planning officer’s recommendation for the construction of a replacement dwelling at The Bungalow in Hawkswick even though one member described it as a “half-breed house” and another commented “It looks like a pavilion to me.” Hawkswick parish meeting had stated: “We feel the design needs to be more sympathetic to its surroundings in Littondale with more use being made of stone than wood panelling and glazing.” The head of development management, Richard Graham, said: “It’s an unfussy design and it’s robust. The timber can be stained a dark colour or left to weather naturally.”

Starbotton – Many  members agreed with the chairman of the planning committee that the need for housing for local people outweighed the arguments against approving the construction of a two-bedroomed house on land designated by the YDNPA as important open space within a village. The majority therefore voted against the planning officer’s recommendation that the application should be refused. This decision will, therefore, have to be ratified at the March meeting.

Craven Dt Coun John Roberts pointed out that the application didn’t meet eight of the YDNPA’s policies. The officer explained that it would be harmful to the village because: it would introduce domestic clutter to an otherwise wild and unspoilt area; it would increase the visual prominence of a presently unobtrusive vehicular access; it would reduce the visual quality of the green space along the beck; and it would introduce a dwelling that paid little regard to its setting in terms of detailing, siting and orientation.

Kettlewell-with-Starbotton parish council said it supported the need for local occupancy housing but questioned if the YDNPA should allow a house to be built on land designated as special open space.

Linton – Linton Parish Council was very concerned that a precedent would be set for the future development of the village if permission was given for a house to be built outside of the development boundary. After a lengthy debate the committee agreed with the planning officer that permission could not be granted for a house to be built in the field next to Tarn Laithe. The owner explained that it was for members of his own family and so constituted local need. The officer stated that as the site was outside the village housing boundary it would not fulfill the criteria for local needs housing under the present Local Plan nor the new Dales Housing Development Plan when it comes into force. Committee member Peter  Charlesworth believed the application would fulfill a local need for housing and pointed out that prior to a wall being built the development boundary would have extended through the proposed site to the edge of the conservation area.

Reeth – Committee members voted overwhelmingly in favour of allowing a new house to be built at Mill Hill. This, however, was against the planning officer’s recommendation who said it should be refused as the amended plans did not go far enough to solve the problems of over-dominating and affecting the privacy of the house below it. The Swaledale members of the committee felt there would be minimal loss of privacy and amenity and that the proposed building was in keeping with the terraced nature of many houses in Reeth. Another committee member asked if the house could be set back by a metre from the footpath. It was agreed that the planning officer could ratify this decision if the applicant could make that adjustment to the plans.

Keld – Approval was given for the number of tents at Park House campsite, Keld, to be increased from six to 12 and for the opening period to be extended. No caravans or tents will be allowed on the site between October 31 and March 1 each year, and none can be there for more than 28 days during the camping season. The application originally proposed increasing the number of caravans from three to six but the planning officers were concerned about the impact upon such a remote and exposed landscape.

Ribblehead – An enforcement notice will be issued for the removal of the residential caravan beside the Station Inn at Ribblehead, but the compliance period will be set at six months instead of two. N Yorks County Coun John Blackie explained that the owner was preparing to apply for an extension to the Inn so as to provide alternative staff accommodation.

It was sad to hear of the death earlier this month of Joyce Bayes.  Peter and Joyce Bayes not only ran the Pen-y-ghent cafe in Horton in Ribblesdale for many years before  handing over to their children but also founded the Three Peaks of Yorkshire Club. At this time of mourning the cafe is only open at weekends but will resume full service before Easter. I first posted the following article in 2009:

Left: Peter Bayes (centre) watches as Iain Main enjoys one of the cafe’s trademark pint mugs of tea, while a walker clocks in after completing the Three Peaks challenge. About his walk along the Three Peaks route  in the  summer of 2009  Iain commented: “I have been coming for many years. I come to be quiet, for solitude and to commune with nature. But at stiles and gates it was like queuing to get into the Marks and Spencers January sales. Sometimes there were 50 people waiting to get through. I don’t begrudge the charities but over a thousand people in a space of 12 to 14 hours is going to take a toll on the undeveloped parts of the path. It’s a great service to the charities but there needs to be a debate with the National Park  Authority about the wear and tear on the landscape and the amount of litter.”

On Saturdays throughout the summer Horton in Ribblesdale is overflowing with walkers taking part in the Three Peaks challenge to raise funds for charities. It has been Heart Research UK’s biggest annual fund raising event for 15 years and, like many other charities, it provides its own support and safety systems.

But for many undertaking the Three Peaks challenge there is still nothing like clocking out and in at the world-famous Pen-y-ghent cafe and enjoying its trademark pint mugs of tea and home-made cakes. Since 1965, when Peter and Joyce Bayes moved to the village, they and their children have turned the cafe into an institution among the walking fraternity. And many are proud to wear the shirts or badges that go with completing the trek over Ingleborough, Whernside and Pen-y-ghent within 12 hours. This entitled them to join the Three Peaks of Yorkshire club instituted and run by the Bayes.

The ping of them clocking back in is a constant background noise throughout summer afternoons except when the cafe is closed on Tuesdays. The family bought an old clocking-in clock from a Lancashire mill many years ago to keep up with the number of walkers who wanted to use their free safety service. For after a long day the Bayes don’t close at 5.30pm and put their feet up. Instead they remain on duty waiting for the last tired walkers to sign back in.

The Bayes are concerned about the impact of big charity events upon residents, landowners, other walkers and local businesses. In a letter to the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority in 2008 the Bayes stated: “Our business adheres to a guiding set of principles and ethics which are informed by a sense of responsibility for the impact that our customers have on both the immediate locality and the wider landscape.” They have helped large groups to find alternative routes by collaborating with the department of physical education at Leeds University.

The full meeting of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) on Thursday, January 12, proved to be quite an anti-climax. The big question was – would they decide that the member champion for planning should not sit on the planning committee?

Gary Smith, the YDNPA director of conservation and community, maintained in his Review of the Member Champion Initiative, that there was a clear perception of a conflict of interest especially if the member champion for planning had been directly involved in working with officers and applicants to resolve  planning applications. Mr Smith added: “While it is entirely proper that the member champion for planning should not be constrained to always support the officer recommendations, any time that they do not do so can undermine the perception of their role as Champion of that area.”  Among the key roles of the member champions he listed “To champion the service within the Authority, and to represent and champion the service externally.”  One wonders if the officers want the member champion for planning to rubber stamp whatever they decide. If so that will not help in building good relationships between the Authority and those who live and work in the Yorkshire Dales. The member champion needs to be someone who does fully believe in the objectives of the National Park but at the same time can be a mediator between officers and applicants.  He or she should be prepared to disagree with planning officers so long as the alternative recommendation  is in line with YDNPA ‘s core objectives but also fosters the economic and social well-being of residents.

On Thursday, however, the full authority meeting got nowhere near discussing this interesting subject because the members did not accept the first recommendation in Mr Smith’s report: that to fit in with the new streamlined Authority the number of member champions should be reduced from eight to five. It was proposed that there should be one member champion for sustainable development which would amalgamate those for planning, forward planning and climate change and one for conservation (natural environment, cultural heritage and climate change).

N Yorks County Coun Roger Harrison-Topham commented that the Authority needed Renaissance Men to fill such complicated and diverse roles. Andrew Colley, and others argued that at a time when members needed to be more pro-active in the community  it wasn’t time to cut back on the number of member champions. It was pointed out that these member champions put in a their lot of time on a voluntary basis to fulfil such roles.

South Lakeland Dt Coun Ian McPherson stated: “What I hear is the enthusiasm and commitment of the member champions and it would seem as if we are throwing away a tremendous resource which doesn’t cost us. It enables members to be creative and to think outside the box and bring in fresh ideas.”

But with the debate moving towards accepting the status quo the Chief Executive, David Butterworth, reminded members that as yet they had done little to match the cuts made by the officers since it was announced that the grants to the Authority would be substantially reduced. He felt that the member champion initiative should be brought in line with the new structure of the Authority which now had three directorates rather than six departments.  He challenged the members to recognise and respond to the new financial and economic climate that the Authority was working in.

The Authority chairman, Craven Dt Coun Carl Lis, reproached Mr Colley for asking after Mr Butterworth’s comments: “Are members a mild irritation to officers rather than helping them?  We are here to promote the Park – we are here to support it.”

A very small majority of the members voted against the recommendation to amalgamate some of the member champion roles. There was also a close vote on the recommendation that the new member champion for corporate planning should not be able to sit on the Audit and Review Committee.  Coun Harrison-Topham said it wasn’t necessary to exclude the member champion and so lose so much expertise and knowledge. It would be sufficient, he felt, for the member champion to declare an interest and even leave the room if it was felt there was a conflict of interest. Coun Lis’s vote swung the vote in favour of the officer’s recommendation.

After that it was decided to send all the other recommendations back to the review panel. These included: “The job descriptions for member champions should be clarified and include guidance on how they are expected to carry out their role.”  Several at the meeting hoped that the review panel of four would discuss any recommendations more fully with other members, and especially the member champions, before they were brought back to the full authority for ratification.

Coming of Age?

“We are in our late teens or early 20′s,” Mr Butterworth said when explaining how the YDNPA had “come of age” and now had the expertise and experience to bring the role of Chief Finance Officer “in house”. This role had been fulfilled by a senior officer at North Yorkshire County Council since the YDNPA became independent of the county council in 1997. Members accepted the recommendation to let the YDNPA’s own head of finance take over this role from April this year – a move they were told will save the Authority £9,500 a year.

ARC News Service – a brief report on some of the issues discussed at the December 2011 meeting of the YDNPA Full Authority including the representation of Dales constituencies on the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA), the impact of the government’s National Planning Policy Framework and Localism Act on planning in the Yorkshire Dales including the latest YDNPA Housing Development Plan, Natural England‘s claims that there was a majority in favour of National Park boundary extensions, and how the YDNPA will prioritise its services following the budget cuts. The services affected include the Dales Countryside Museum and the Pennine Bridleway.

LOCAL REPRESENTATION – A good balance of local representation on the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority must be maintained, members agreed when they discussed the Defra review of governance.

The majority, therefore, voted against restricting membership to eight years because that would undermine local representation. County Coun John Blackie pointed out that both he and County Council Roger Harrison-Topham had already been members for eight years. “That would remove in a stroke any county councillors from North Yorkshire whose constituents are in the Dales. So you would have people coming from (places like) Scarborough. One of the purposes of the government’s review is to engage more with local communities,” he said. Craven Dt Coun Carl Lis, chairman of the Authority, added that the YDNPA would lose members who had an enormous amount of knowledge.

Members agreed with the proposal to abolish the requirement that district and county councils should, if appointing three or more members to a National Park Authority , ensure that there is a political balance. This has led in the past to members being appointed from Scarborough, Selby and York.  But when County Coun Blackie asked if such councils could be directed to assign to the Authority  councillors who had been elected by residents in the National Park Mr Butterworth said that the government would not consider that.

It was agreed that any resident of the National Park, as long as they were not a county or district councillor, should be eligible to be parish members. At present this is restricted to serving parish councillors and chairmen of parish meetings in the National Park. Richard Daly, the solicitor and monitoring officer, reported that there was a strong view emerging that the National Parks should appoint the parish members rather than the Secretary of State.

NEW PLANNING LAWS – The government’s  new National Planning Policy Framework could invalidate all or part of the YDNPA’s existing local plans the members were warned. Officers noted: “A loss of planning policy would reduce the Authority’s influence in making development decisions and using the Planning system to deliver National Park purposes. For applicants and residents losing the local plans risks inconsistency, delay and additional cost.”

For this reason the Authority is very keen to prepare a new Management Plan and Core Strategy. The Core Strategy should include a 30 year vision for the National Park and could be used for day to day planning application work. The Authority would like to adopt the new strategy by the end of 2014 and the first public consultation period should be between March and May 2012.

N Yorks County Coun Shelagh Marshall asked if the Federation of Small Businesses could also be invited to be represented on the steering group which will oversee the production of the National Park Management Plan. Nine members voted against this proposal with eight being for it.

The Localism Act of 2011 has led to a two tier approach to the examination of development plans. So the YDNPA members had to decide which approach they wanted to submit the new YDNPA Housing Development Plan to. They opted for that in which, if the inspector  found deficiencies in the Plan he could recommend changes. The other option – for the inspector to determine only whether the plan was sound or not – could lead to it being sent right back to the consultation stage.

BOUNDARY EXTENSION  – Members questioned the statistics provided by Natural England to support its claim that the consultation responses showed a large majority in favour of including Orton Fells in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It was pointed out that the 57 objectors included two county councils and three district councils, all of which represented hundreds of residents. As these councils had objected there would have to be an  public enquiry. David Butterworth, CEO, said that the Authority would object on the basis of the cost of the National Park boundary extensions. He said he would ask for detailed costs.

According to the financial formula applied to National Parks the YDNPA would receive an additional £750,000 a year if the boundary of the park was extended. In the government’s governance review  it had been decided not to cut the number of members of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority as the boundary extension was on the agenda.

FINANCIAL PRIORITIES -  The large cut in the government grant means that the Authority has to accept that instead of looking to improve services it has to decide where to cut back, Gary Smith, the deputy chief executive told the members. This meant that some programmes would suffer through lack of funds. At a members’ forum in November it was agreed that the top priority programmes would be: farm conservation, building conservation, biodiversity, recreational activities, rights of way, sustainable tourism, and climate change which would include restoring degraded peatland, the creation of more woodland, and to support the implementation of at least three hydro-electric schemes by the end of 2012. Those programmes for which the YDNPA will seek to maintain a good level of service will include the Dales Countryside Museum (DCM), green lanes, volunteers, archaeology, countryside skills and training, national park centres, outreach, toilets and web-based services. Car parks, open access, the Pennine Bridleway and retail will be on the lowest tier of priorities. In the debate about the DCM Mr Butterworth said that the Authority could not now go ahead with the major re-development scheme which had been planned for the museum. Instead there would be just small scale improvements using existing resources.

William Weston warned that the museum project was teetering on the edge. He argued that there was a need for a vision and strategy even if there were limited funds.

For more information see http://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/index/nationalparkauthority/authoritycommittees/authority/authority-dec2011.htm

ARC News Service report on decisions made at the December 2011 meeting of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority‘s planning committee concerning applications involving   Townhead barn at Austwick , the Cavendish Pavilion at  Bolton Abbey , additional accommodation at  Fountaine Inn at Linton,  , changes to the conditions affecting touring caravans at Swaleview caravan park in Swaledale and an application for  a new house in Reeth plus enforcement notices at Kettlewell and Malham.

Austwick – A decision about the proposed conversion of Townhead Barn into a 24-bed bunk barn was referred back to the December meeting because in November  the majority of members had voted against the officer’s recommendation that the application should be refused. Peter Charlesworth said that the parish council (which had continued to strongly object to the application) should be supported . He added that he did not feel the applicant had  produced  a sufficient management scheme as it did not provide for a resident manager. N Yorks County Coun Richard Welch, however, argued that as the building was on the Pennine Bridleway it was ideal for a bunk barn. This time seven members voted to refuse the application, with six wanting to see it go ahead.

Bolton Abbey – Courting rituals and a touch of a “Passage to India” brought some light relief to a long day  when members discussed the proposed changes to the Cavendish Pavilion at Bolton Abbey and the temporary use of the gatehouse as a café while those alterations were being made. Craven Dt Coun John Roberts described the pavilion as an iconic building to which he had regularly walked his future wife when they were courting. There was laughter when N Yorks County Coun Roger Harrison-Topham said that the pavilion had powerful echoes of the British Raj. Such a building, he inferred, should be dark inside and have fans to cool customers down. There is little natural light inside the  Pavilion at present and the application includes the replacement of half of the windows along the front with glazed panels. After an objection from the parish council the plans were amended to retain the black timber uprights. As the building had been substantially changed since it was built in 1898 the members accepted the officer’s recommendation to approve what were described as relatively modest alterations to the Pavilion.

Linton – The agent for the Fountaine Inn at Linton told members that it was understandable that they had turned down an application to convert the barn behind the inn into hotel rooms. The Planning Inspectorate had, however, only dismissed the appeal because there wasn’t a S106 agreement to tie the barn to the inn. The planning committee had agreed with the parish council and residents that the development would cause car parking and access problems in Linton. This, however, could no longer be the basis for refusal following the decision of the planning inspector. The new application was approved subject to a S106 agreement to tie the barn to the inn, to restrict the accommodation to just bedrooms with en suites and to control signage.

Threshfield – The committee very quickly approved the application for a new fire station and drill tower at the former council yard in Threshfield.  Richmondshire Dt Coun Malcolm Gardner commented about the old fire station that he was surprised that the retained firefighters had been willing to use such a shambles of a shack for so long. This did not meet health and safety requirements nor did it provide the necessary facilities. Threshfield parish council had asked if the height of the new building could be reduced. The planning officer reported that following negotiations the roof height had been reduced but this had to be dictated by the need to house and maintain a fire appliance.

Kettlewell – Members agreed with officers that an enforcement notice should be issued to ensure that no scrap metal items were left for collection on the land opposite the water works at Kettlewell. The members also want the hard standing removed and the verge re-instated. Yorkshire Water could apply to use the verge on a temporary basis whenever necessary.

Malham – Approval was given for formal enforcement action to be taken to stop the use of Prior Hall at Malham being used as two separate dwellings.

Caravan site in Swaledale – I must have heard that wrong. Did the planning officer say that the touring caravans would be located in the “red light area”? Almost certainly not as he then pointed to the red line outlining the area.  David Thompson, on his debut performance at the planning committee was explaining that the owners of Swaleview Caravan Park wanted two conditions removed from a planning permission so as to allow seasonal use of all 30 touring caravan pitches. Like Hudswell parish council and the CPRE in Swaledale,  N Yorks County Coun John Blackie and other members  were particularly concerned that if there were not sufficient safeguards the short-stay touring pitches could be lost. It was therefore agreed that some of the conditions should be supported with S106 agreements to ensure that caravans on the touring pitches would not become residential accommodation.

Reeth – It was agreed that there should be a site meeting at Mill Hill in Reeth at 11am on Friday, January 20. The planning application is for one house with integral garage and one separate double garage to be built on garden land.

An ARC News Service Report:

There was clapping and cheering at the meeting on Tuesday, December 13 when members  of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority ( YDNPA ) approved the sale of 72a Main Street and adjoining open space at Sedbergh to the White Knights Consortium. This should ensure the future of Sedbergh Community Office and Sedbergh History Society.

The White Knights is a local  consortium which had bid £80,000 on a “not for profit” basis. It will hold the property and open space in trust for the town for up to four years so that the Sedbergh and District Community Development Heritage Trust has more time to raise the money.  If the community cannot not raise £80,000 the ownership would then be transferred to Sedbergh Parish Councill to be sold on the own market so that the White Knights can be repaid.

One of the conditions agreed by the Authority was that if there was any profit from selling on the open market 50 per cent would be given to the YDNPA. The rest would be donated to the community of Sedbergh. Some Authority members asked how the YDNPA could sell for £30,000 to £50,000 less than it might have got on the open market.

The YDNPA had budgeted for £130,000 at a time when it  needed the money to cover staff salaries and other costs.  “I don’t know where that money can be found – it is looking rather bleak,” said Authority member Ann  Brooks. She added: “I urge the people of Sedbergh to repay (the White Knights) as quickly as possible.”

Richmondshire Dt Coun Stuart Parsons, who proposed the acceptance of the White Knights offer, pointed out that the expected open market price of the building had dropped in the last few years  from £192,500 to £110,000 by October. “There is no guarantee we would get £110,000 now,” he said. He added that the relationship between the Authority and the community of Sedbergh could be further damaged if the sale didn’t go ahead and that could take years to repair. “That is too high a price to pay,” he commented.

David Butterworth, the chief executive, recommended that the Authority should accept the White Knights offer.  In his report he noted that the Authority had no further use for the building and had decided to sell it. But even when the price was reduced there were no offers for it except that from the White Knights for £60,000 which had been subsequently increased to £80,000.

He told members: “I have been hugely impressed and somewhat humbled by the responses I have received not just from Sedbergh but from other parts of Britain and the world. The majority have been thoughtful and considerate.” He described Mark Westwood of the White Knights Consortium as a man of honour and integrity who had worked well with Richard Burnett of the YDNPA. And he hoped that the sale of the building to the White Knights would lead to a positive relationship between the YDNPA and the community of Sedbergh.

As the Authority had been assured that the building and open space would continue to contribute towards the promotion and improvement of the economic, social and environmental being of  part of the National Park it could, under a general consent from the Secretary of State, sell these at less than £110,000. By selling to the White Knights the future of the Community Office and the History Society could be safeguarded. The Community Office provides an information service in that part of the National Park and the open space is seen as an important aspect of the Sedbergh townscape initiative.

The YDNPA has discussed what to do with 72a Main Street many times in the last 10 years.  Coun Hilary Hodge, chairman of Sedbergh Parish Council, commented:  “It’s often been said that Sedbergh never gets its act together. We now have very wide community support for what we are doing.” She added that the YDNPA officers had been superb and had played a key part in creating  a route map for the future of the building and the open space.

Craven District Coun Carl Lis chose Aysgarth and District parish council as the first one he would visit as chairman of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) and – as he expected – the main area of conflict was planning.

The councillors listed several issues which the Authority had not responded to quickly enough and  Coun Jane Huntington told him: “We do protest, we do bring things up at an early stage in the planning process but it still doesn’t happen.”  One of these was the way two new houses had been constructed in Thornton Rust and for which an enforcement notice has now been issued. It was pointed out that nothing had yet been done to comply with that notice and Coun Lis commented: “We will keep pushing – it is now very high profile.”

Coun Robert Walker wondered if sometimes problems occurred due to insufficient training. This, he believed, had led to a house in Thoralby being constructed which was totally out of place in a Dales village, especially as it was within the curtilage of a listed building.

Coun Huntington asked why the Authority did not follow up properly when it gave planning permissions to ensure that all conditions were met. “The houses should be inspected and signed off on,” added Coun Brian McGregor.

The issue of inconsistencies in planning permission especially with regard to the colour of window frames and the use of uPVc was raised by Coun Walker. He felt that uPVc double glazing should be allowed in new buildings. Coun Lis said he was aware that on occasions there were inconsistencies but the Authority was trying to overcome this by ensuring that the teams of planning officers covering the northern and southern sections of the Park regularly met to discuss issues.

He then raised his own concerns about the plight of those living in listed buildings. He wondered how they could encourage manufacturers to produce double glazed units that would be accepted in such buildings. “You are condemning those in listed buildings to be cold,” he said.  Coun McGregor replied that manufacturers would make such windows if they knew they would be used. Coun Lis commented that now (after the November meeting of the YDNPA planning committee) it was no longer a matter of the thickness of the double glazing but the reflections from the windows. He added that this was, however, a matter for the Secretary of State.

The parish councillors were also concerned about any changes in the interpretation of the YDNPA’s housing policy.  Coun Huntington said that any proposed changes should be put out for public consultation first.

Coun Lis assured the councillors that the YDNPA did take the views of parish councils seriously. Although the majority of planning decisions were now being made by officers under delegated powers an application would be referred to the planning committee if a parish council disagreed with an officer’s recommendation. The other way that applications can be called in was at the request of a planning committee member. Coun Lis added that in Wensleydale the local communities had an extremely powerful voice in County Coun John Blackie.

Coun Lis told the councillors that the Authority wanted to improve communications with parish councils. But with the cuts in staff following the reduction in the Authority’s grants members like himself had agreed that they would visit parish councils.

He assured Aysgarth and District parish council that he would follow up on the planning issues that had been raised and report back.

He was asked if the YDNPA will receive more funds from the government if its boundaries are extended. He replied that they expected to get an additional £750,000 a year of which about 70 per cent would be used to employ more staff. He commented that it was interesting that the total grants to all the National Parks in England was about £48 million compared to the £40 million given to the National Theatre.

ARC News service – In the past few months the YDNPA planning committee has discussed the issue of introducing solar panels and how to conserve heat in listed buildings that have 18th and 19th century windows :

Preston under Scar (above) overlooks Wensleydale but is just outside the Yorkshire Dales National Park and that has enabled several households to invest in solar energy. Even though the YDNPA planning committee has now approved the installation of 40 solar panels on the roof of the Authority’s office in Bainbridge it looks as if it will still be difficult for many households in the National Park to follow this “example of good practice”. (See September  2011 decisions)

The YDNPA will argue that solar panels can’t be installed where they are very visible and so might affect the enjoyment of those visiting the National Park. The first article I ever had published concerning life in the National Park (in February 1991) was about solar panels after the YDNPA refused permission for some to be installed on the roof of a farmhouse. The Authority argued it would set a precedent which would have a harmful effect on the character of the area.

When I look at Preston under Scar I am encouraged that so many are able to enjoy green, sustainable power and certainly don’t feel that the panels distract from the beauty of the area. And as N Yorks County Coun John Blackie said when the YDNPA planning committee approved its own panels – what’s good for the goose is good for the gander!

I noticed that YDNPA planning officers, using designated powers, had in the past two months approved three applications for solar panels in the National Park. One of those applications was from Askrigg primary school but no details  are available on the YDNPA website.

At the YDNPA November planning committee meeting members accepted the officers’ recommendation that 18th and 19th century windows at Spen House at Askrigg could not be replaced with double glazed units even though that house is losing so much of its heat.  (At the October meeting the majority of the members voted in favour of installing double glazing.)  Carl Lis, the chairman of the YDNPA, said: “I can’t believe that in this day and age we can’t produce double glazing windows that would satisfy all requirements.” And Coun John Blackie reported that the John Wood almshouses at St John’s Hospital in Bath had become the first Grade I listed buildings in England to be allowed to install 11mm double glazed windows as energy conservation and warmth had become a priority.

At the annual general meeting of ARC in November the association’s chairman, Alastair Dinsdale, pointed out that Spen House overlooks the YDNPA’s office at Bainbridge. He said that this building was criticised by many residents as not being in keeping with the built landscape around it. Visitors and residents were far more aware of the glare from the windscreens of the cars in the large YDNPA car park than of the difference in glare from old and new panes of glass at Spen House, he added.  Coun John Roberts’ comment about the need for consistency in planning as regards the windows in listed buildings was noted.

ARC News Service – Decisions made at the November 2011  meeting of YDNPA concerning: Proposed new campsite at Kettlewell; Spen House at Askrigg; proposed bunkbarn at Austwick; and The Shetty at Gayle. See YDNPA – planning committee decisions October 2011 for the earlier discussions about the campsite at Kettlewell and Spen House at Askrigg.

Kettlewell campsite: The planning officer left the members of the YDNPA planning committee in no doubt about how they should vote when they reconsidered the planning application to create a new camping site at Kettlewell. At the October meeting they had voted by a narrow margin to approve the site but this had to be ratified.

In her report the planning officer  reminded them of the two purposes of a National Park: to conserve and enhance the landscape and to promote opportunities for people to come and understand and enjoy its special qualities. If there was a conflict between these two then the Authority should apply the Sandford Principle: to attach greater weight to the purpose of conserving and enhancing the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the National Park.

She stated that the development of the proposed camping site “would interrupt the ancient field pattern to the south of Kettlewell to the extent that the landscape quality for a wide area is severely compromised.”  And she added: “..the duty towards the economic well-being of Kettlewell cannot be used to justify development at the expense of conserving and enhancing the natural beauty of the landscape.” She concluded that the proposal would amount to a significant and permanent landscape detractor. And if that wasn’t enough she added that if the members granted permission the matter would be referred to the Secretary of State as a departure from the Authority’s adopted policy. That has very  rarely been stated in an officer’s report.

The chairman of the committee, Graham Dalton, explained that this planning application had split the community of Kettlewell and he gave a summary of the arguments for and against.

For: There was a need in the vicinity of Kettlewell to provide a camp site for Duke of Edinburgh participants, Dales Way walkers, cyclists, young people and families. Camping was the cheapest way to come and enjoy the Dales – and the Authority had a duty to promote the enjoyment of the National Park for everyone. The applicants had provided a management plan and offered a tree planting scheme. And he added about the sustainability of Kettlewell “The money which the campers bring in goes into the shops and the pubs and the income supports the working population and in turn the working population provides the children for the school and so you have the virtuous circle of sustainability”.

Against: The proposed site was very open and set within a landscape that was famous both nationally and internationally. The application did not meet many of the conditions that the YDNPA had formulated for campsites – that the impact upon the landscape should be minimal; there should be appropriate  screening of the site at the time of the application; and that it should be close to residential buildings. As this campsite was not  close to the village it could not be monitored all the time. He again reminded members of the Sandford Principle.

As compared to last month the majority of the members voted to accept the officer’s recommendation and refuse the application. County Coun John Blackie, however, said he had not changed his view that the site should be approved.  He felt that the sustainability of Kettlewell was an important material consideration and that the impact upon the landscape would not be so significant especially as campers did not leave  irreparable marks upon a field.

Spen House, Askrigg: The officers were just as forceful about the application to make alterations at Spen House. This is a listed building. And Coun Roberts repeated that the YDNPA needed to be consistent with its decisions. Officers explained that to replace 18th and 19th Century windows with double glazed units would be contrary to government policy regarding the preservation of listed buildings.

Mr Richard Middleton, the applicant, had offered to donate the windows with cylinder glass to the YDNPA. But during the debate an officer said that it would not be acceptable to replace them with even the slimmest double glazed units available as that would still make a significant change to the windows.

Carl Lis, who is the chairman of the Authority, commented: “I can’t believe that in this day and age we can’t produce double glazing windows that would satisfy all requirements.” Several committee members obviously felt that the emphasis should be on energy conservation these days.

When asked why the owners of some listed buildings had been allowed to install double glazed units an officer explained that the windows that had been replaced were not (as at Spen House) the originals but dated from the 20th century. The majority of the members accepted the officers’ recommendation and voted against giving planning permission.

Austwick – Officers recommended that an application to convert a disused barn at Austwick into a bunkbarn which would accommodate up to 24 people should be refused because it would not be supervised 24/7. This was supported by the parish council which was concerned that any large groups staying there could be involved in anti-social behaviour.

The applicant, Mr Taylor, told the committee that the bunk barn would mainly be used by horse riders and supervised groups of scouts and school children. Coun Richard Welch commented: “This makes good use of a disused barn and I think (this application) deserves a chance.”  Other members agreed that Mr Taylor should be given an opportunity to resolve the issue of supervision. There was therefore a majority vote in favour of approving the application but this will have to be ratified at the December meeting.

The Shetty, Gayle - The “local needs criteria” applied to this building in 1991 included clauses to ensure that only someone living within 10 miles of the house could move into it. The owner argued that this had made it difficult to sell and had asked for the S106 agreement to be removed . Such clauses are not included in “local needs” agreements now.  The majority of the members and accepted that the restriction  should be removed.

ARC News Service: Decisions made by the YDNPA planning committee at the meeting on Tuesday, October 11 concerning Arcow Quarry near Horton in Ribblesdale;  a camp site  and hard-standings at Kettlewell; solar panels on a farmhouse at Burnsall; a new house at Reeth; Spen House at Askrigg; and the caravan site at West Witton.

Arcow Quarry near Horton in Ribblesdale . – Tarmac Ltd was given permission to continue extracting stone from Arcow Quarry for another three and a half years. And it was understood that Tarmac may apply for an additional 10 years. This will mean that instead of work finishing at the quarry by the end of this year and the restoration of the site being completed by December 2012, Tarmac will continue extracting Silurian gritsone (greywacke) until 2025.

About 45 people and organisations had objected to there being any extension, including the Campaign for National Parks, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, the Yorkshire Dales Society, the Ramblers Association and the vice-president of the European Parliament, Edward McMillan-Scott, MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber. In his letter to the YDNPA Mr McMillan-Scott stated that Tarmac had made it clear it had long term intentions to continue operating and that by approving the application for a three and a half year extension it would be difficult to resist that.

Natural England, however, did not object as the extraction of stone during the next three and a half years would not generate new impacts upon the environment. It was accepted that the continued use of heavy goods vehicles would have an impact. One of the conditions of the new agreement is that the road haulage level will be reduced next year (to 250,000 tonnes in any 12 months). The YDNPA would like to see a railway siding created which would mean a further reduction in road haulage.

At the meeting N Yorks County Coun Richard Welch made an impassioned plea for the continued use of the quarry. He compared the employment situation in the area to a three-legged stool which depended upon farming, tourism and quarrying. “If one leg is removed it will fall down,” he said.

Committee member Chris Armitage, like many of the objectors, reminded the committee that this quarry, like others near Horton in Ribblesdale, were in a National Park. “I get the feeling we are being taken for a bit of a ride as the applicants are already thinking of applying for another 10 year extension.”

Several objectors said that to approve the application would be contrary to both government and the YDNPA’s policies and that the continued extraction of stone would cause further harm to the landscape and the areas around the quarry. Settle Town Coun  Steve Amphlett had pointed out that there were 400 lorry movements a day from the local quarries  through the centre of the town. He described this as a blight on the town and wrote “400 lorries a day do not make for an attractive, safe and friendly town!”

The basis of Tarmac’s application was that it had not been able to extract as much as permitted in the past eight years due to the economic recession and geological stability problems. By the end of this year about 875,000 tonnes of permitted reserves would remain unworked.Arcow is one of the three quarries in the Yorkshire Dales supplying high performance aggregate for use in road surfacing.

Kettlewell . – The YDNPA planning committee on Tuesday heard how opinion in Kettlewell was divided about the application to replace a camp site off Conistone Road with a new one in a field nearby. Craven Dt Coun John Roberts said that 14 residents had objected to the application and there had been 21 letters in support of it. He added that the sustainability of villages like Kettlewell depended upon being able to provide many different forms of tourist accommodation and the campsites were an important part of that, particularly for the Duke of Edinburgh Award expeditions. As a resident of Kettlewell he abstained from voting.

Peter Charlesworth commented that the main problem with the proposed new location was that it would be so prominent in what was a “chocolate box view” landscape. “I could not conceive of a more inappropriate site,” he said.

The planning officer had noted that the application did not fit the criteria in the Local Plan for the creation of a tented camp site. She stated: “The introduction of a camp site into this field would seriously interrupt the character of upper Wharfedale and have a significant adverse impact on the setting of Kettlewell.” Not only was the site not screened sufficiently at present but it would not be possible to do so.

Nigel Lambert, the son of the applicants, explained that his parents were retiring at the end of October and the two camping sites they had run for many years would be closed. He wanted to move back to Kettlewell with his family and run the new campsite. The application included the conversion and alteration of an existing agricultural building to provide facilities for campers and an office which he would use to supervise the site. “We want to provide proper facilities including for the disabled,” he said. He added that he wanted to run the site professionally and that it would be open from Easter to October each year.

N Yorks County Coun John Blackie described how the campsite at Hardraw in Wensleydale had grown in popularity in the past few years and this had led to increased trade for the local pub and other businesses. “Campsites bring young people into the Dales  – and they will come back in the future.” Harold Brown agreed with him that the provision of camp sites brought prosperity to Dales’ villages.

Six of the members voted against the officer’s recommendation that the application should be refused. Five voted for her recommendation and there were two abstentions. This means that the decision to approve the application needs to be ratified at the November meeting.

Kettlewell enforcement notices. – The committee agreed that enforcement action could be taken to secure the removal of two unauthorised hard standings which had been created beside Kettlewell Beck as these had an unacceptable impact upon the character and appearance of the conservation area.  The Authority was concerned that if action was not taken other residents would create hardstandings for their vehicles on what was an important open space consisting of verges and green areas.

Burnsall . – The committee decided to defer a decision on an application for solar panels on a barn which is part of listed group of farm buildings at Oat Croft, Burnsall so that there could be a site visit. The electricity generated would be for the grade II listed farmhouse close to the barn. Burnsall parish meeting had unanimously supported the  proposal to install 21 photovoltaic solar panels especially as these would not be seen from the front of the barn.

The planning officer, however, recommended refusal because she felt that the introduction of so many solar panels on a traditional stone slate roof would seriously detract from the character and appearance of such a traditional group of buildings and the area around them. She had suggested that either the solar panels could be on ground mounted panels or installed on the roof of a nearby modern agricultural building.

The agent for the applicants, Mrs Jacobs, said that livestock was kept on the land around the farmhouse and the agricultural building was too far away from it. She did suggest that darker, more unobtrusive solar panels could be installed. The YDNPA’s member champion for climate change, William Weston, proposed that the application should be accepted even though he recognised that it would be a definitive decision as it affected a group of historic buildings. He also asked if darker panels could be used.

Some of the other members felt it was very important to protect the appearance of such an attractive group of traditional buildings and wanted to see for themselves if there was an alternative solution.

Reeth. – “After 16 or 17 amendments I think we have got a suitable development which I can support,” commented committee member Malcolm Gardner, when the application for the construction of a three-bedroomed house on land to the rear of Metcalfe’s Farm at Reeth was discussed. Coun Richard Welch said he had been very impressed by the plans when he attended the site meeting. He added that if he had not attended the site meeting  he would have voted against the proposal. The majority of the members voted to grant permission for the new house.

Spen House, Skelgill Lane, Askrigg. – Craven Dt Coun John  Roberts reminded the planning committee that it needed to be consistent in its decisions when the application concerning Spen House, a grade II listed building, was discussed. The owner of the house, farmer Mr Middleton wants to replace 10 sliding sash wooden single glazed windows with sliding sash wooden double glazed ones. Three of the windows of the house, which is on an isolated and exposed site above Askrigg, have already been boarded up because the frames had deteriorated so badly. But replacing windows with double glazed units would mean the loss of several with cylinder and plate glazed panels which, the planning officer argued, were part of the historic fabric of the building.

Coun Roberts pointed out that the YDNPA had refused permission for windows at Scar House at Hubberholme (a National Trust property) and at West Sale Park, Kettlewell, to replace such windows with double glazed units – and those buildings are also in very high, exposed locations. The planning officer had suggested alternatives to wooden double glazed units which included secondary glazing, insulation blinds or internal shutters. Mr Middleton told the committee that it would cost £500 extra per window to install secondary glazing.

Askrigg Parish Council supported his application because of the isolated and exposed nature of the site ensured that the work was necessary and there would be no impact on the surrounding properties. The committee decided to defer a decision until they had seen an example of the type of double glazed window that Mr Middleton wanted to install at Spen House.

West Witton – enforcement notice . – The committee agreed that enforcement action could be taken to stop what has become the “Chantry Country Retreat” making unauthorised use of a field on the far east side of the caravan site.

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.

ARC News Service - a report by the monitoring team of the Association of Rural Communities after the July meeting of the YDNPA planning committee.

Planning appeals – It was announced that the planning inspectorate had dismissed the appeal against the YDNPA’s refusal to give full planning permission for the conversion and extension of an existing outbuilding to create a three bedroomed dwelling at Coles House in Askrigg – the former home of the late Marie Hartley.  (See Planning decisions October 2010)

It was agreed that Coun John Blackie would attend the appeal hearing on August 16 as the YDNPA member champion for planning as well as a North Yorkshire County Councillor. The owner of the new houses in the Outgang at Thornton Rust has appealed against the enforcement notice concerning the non-compliance with the approved plans and conditions when the dwellings were built. Coun Blackie said he wanted to support to the planning officers at this hearing. The chairman of the committee, Graham Dalton commented that this appeal was of interest to those who built according to the plans they submitted as well as to those who didn’t. “Those who don’t shouldn’t in the end get away with it,” he added. The hearing on August 16 is at the YDNPA office (Yoredale) in Bainbridge.

Reeth -The request by the planning officer to defer a decision regarding planning permission to erect one three-bedroom house to the rear of Metcalfe’s Farm at Reeth was accepted by the committee. The officer explained that another set of amended plans had been received since he had recommended refusal on the grounds that the new house would have an overbearing impact upon adjoining properties including loss of privacy.  Coun John Blackie had asked for the decision to be made by the planning committee because over the past few months five different sets of plans had been submitted. “I am aware that there have been differences of professional opinion at Planning Officer level,” he told the committee. He emphasised the need for a site meeting before a decision was made. Richmondshire Dt Coun Malcolm Gardner agreed with him and added that the site and the differing levels on it  should be accurately measured. The majority of the committee members felt that the applicant must submit his final set of plans before a site meeting was held.

Hawes – The majority of committee members agreed with the planning officer that reconstituted stone blocks could be used instead of natural stone for the external cladding on the renewable technology centre being constructed for GTEC Training Ltd at the Bruntacres Trading Estate in Hawes – but asked that they should be in a darker colour than that used for  the sample panel of stonework.  The original planning permission included a condition that local natural stone should be used.  GTEC argued that this would not match the existing adjacent buildings on the trading estate. County Coun Roger Harrison-Topham commented that it did not seem right to impose the financial penalty of using expensive natural stone when other buildings on the trading estate had been clad with cheaper reconstituted stone blocks. The majority of members agreed that the original planning condition could be changed as long as the reconstituted stone blocks were closer in colour to the houses  and walls outside of the trading estate so that this dominant building would make less impact upon the surrounding landscape.

Horton in Ribblesdale – Permission was granted for the extension of the campsite at Horton in Ribblesdale and improvements to the existing toilet and shower facilities. The committee agreed to this on the basis that a S106 agreement was signed that required the implementation of the measures set out in a management plan. These included keeping the campsite and the toilet and shower facilities clean; no food to be sold on site to campers;  no playing of loud music; and providing sufficient parking spaces so that campers could be discouraged from leaving cars on the roadside outside. Local residents accepted that the campsite was beneficial to the local economy but wanted it to be better managed.  The committee members asked how these measures could be enforced and the planning officer assured them that the YDNPA could do this once the S106 agreement had been signed.

The committee agreed that a site meeting should be held at the Old Slaughter House in Horton in Ribblesdale following the application to build a terrace of three houses there. The parish council had objected to this application partly because it was felt this would be a significant over development of a constricted site. The planning officer recommended approval subject to a S106 agreement restricting occupancy to those who met the Authority’s local needs criteria. An application to build three houses on the site was refused in January 2011 and one of the reasons given was that there was no evidence for “local need”.

Mike Warden has just retired after working in two of the most beautiful areas of North Yorkshire. In 1975 he joined the planning department of the YDNPA (Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority) and moved in 1998 to Harrogate Borough Council where he was often involved with planning applications from those living and working in the adjoining Nidderdale  AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). He believes the National Parks needed to be designated in the early 1950s to protect the beautiful hill and mountain areas:

ELITISM AND EMPIRE BUILDING

The National Parks were set up to protect their natural beauty, to promote visitors coming to them, and to have consideration for the social and economic welfare of those living in them. It was the natural beauty and promote the freedom of walking over the open fells, and over those special mountain areas, that they were created for.

Everything went quite well when the National Parks were administered by the county councils, although there was some criticism that the old rural district councils were too parochial. But when the new park authorities were created in 1974, they started to take unto themselves responsibilities, including planning, that the national parks initially had not been set up to administer. They started to want to control so much and they rather lost sight of what they were really supposed to do.

The YDNPA does have a good warden and tree planting service and these are very important.  It has done quite well at promoting tourism in the National Park. But these functions were usurped from the County Council’s countryside service, from the Forestry Commission, and from the old Tourist Boards. On the other hand, the YDNPA has been poor at looking after the landscape and very, very slow to get involved in helping the agricultural businesses that managed the landscape – the hill farms. They are not really involved now. They try and assist in form filling, helping landowners to get special grants that Defra administers. But Defra could fulfil that function itself if it set its mind to it.

When I started in 1975 the National Park didn’t have planning policies. The principle was that unless a planning application was wrong and you could find valid reasons for refusing it, you would have to allow it. But then the YDNPA, particularly the officers, got so elitist that it lost track of social and economic welfare, and it lost sight of promoting enjoyment of the area, rather it wanted to control tourism. It thought it was protecting the countryside by controlling the villages and the towns – and it wasn’t. It was just making itself very unpopular.

In 1984 I became the agricultural officer and was involved in the design of farm buildings in the dales at a time when there were generous grants from MAFF, which preceded DEFRA. It wasn’t a question of saying No to buildings – but rather of saying how we can get nice looking buildings that fulfill their purpose and that fit in. And that really did usually work – except when elitism came in. At that time stock numbers were growing and the farmers needed more accommodation for their animals during the winter. We developed some wonderful buildings that did just that for the farmers. A case that caused me the greatest concern was a farm in Yockenthwaite where the farmer wanted a sheep house. The farm is quite prominent in a special, picturesque place. With the farmer, the ADAS Officer and I designed a wide span sheep house. The farmer was quite happy to put a base stone wall along the side that was visible across the valley and to ensure that it nestled into the hillside, with a dark brown roof and Yorkshire boarding above the base wall so the building would have natural ventilation for the sheep. But elitism within the YDNPA really did rise up. Senior officers and the committee said it was in such as special place that the building ought to be entirely of stone. You cannot build sheep houses in stone because they don’t breath. Put more than three animals in during the winter and stock get pneumonia. So the farmer got a pretty stone building that was useless for sheep.

The elitism at the YDNPA crushed me after a while. Over the 22 years I spent there it became less and less of an Authority listening to the community and working with the community – and more of a controlling body. The elitism and empire building within the YDNPA was especially evident when the Authority proposed making Swaledale a Conservation Area because, it said, this was the only way get national funding to preserve barns and walls. Residents were assured that designation would not include anything else. But the day after the Conservation Area was introduced farmers found it did cover everything else, including felling trees. The YDNPA brought in everything that could be controlled in a Conservation Area under its remit. It had acquired additional controls by stealth. I was appalled.

COMPARING NATIONAL PARKS AND DISTRICT COUNCILS

As a planning authority a National Park is completely devoid of all the other functions that a responsible District Council administers. Any council outside of a National Park has to take into account the matters of  building control, of environmental health, of pollution. of economic development, and most importantly local councils are housing authorities for their areas, which a National Park is not. The YDNPA always seemed to work on the basis that only if there was no conservation harm could an application be permitted. But in an AONB, the District Council has to establish conservation harm before it can be against a scheme. In each case the same question is being considered, but from two completely different standpoints.

The culture of the YDNPA is conservation focused. A significant proportion of the members are appointed on the basis of their conservation expertise – not economic development or social welfare. The appointed members have no responsibility to the local communities. You don’t get that in a District Council. District Councillors are not automatically conservation focused but they do want to protect that which they think is special. They have more leeway.

During 13 years at Harrogate I found it a far more healthy, respectful body that was making decisions – and by and large very good decisions. There is more local integrity in Nidderdale AONB than in the  YDNP because the latter has been penetrated by the wealthy who expect the YDNPA to protect the value of their capital assets. There is quite a different culture in a District council’s consideration of its AONB. The elitism displayed by officers and members of the YDNPA doesn’t exist. In an AONB planning issues are decided upon taking a whole gamut of other issues into account. Councils like Craven, Richmondshire and South Lakeland are protecting their areas outside the National Park. They don’t believe they are there to create a perfect world. They are careful to encourage tourism and businesses – and are mindful that it is the businesses that keep the places profitable. It is the businesses that create a local society that is profitable, healthy and developing. The area develops socially and culturally as there are working people living there. In the AONB there are less holiday cottages and empty properties. You will find that rural district councils are very good at managing the countryside as well as the towns and villages. Good examples are the Lune and Eden valleys, and round Richmondshire and Craven, areas which are not even AONBs, so that the farming community can look after its countryside and the villages can grow and develop.

At Harrogate I found that the decisions made were far more balanced. There were no strong rural pressure groups and the decisions were made by consensus of councilors representing both urban and rural wards. The objectives in an AONB  – to protect the specialness of the area – are little different to the objectives of a National Park.  But whereas AONBs are administered by District Councils National Parks are autonomous Unitary Authorities.

BOUNDARY EXTENSIONS

So what of the proposed National Park boundary extensions?  I have never quite understood why the boundary of the Yorkshire Dales National Park is where it is. It is an anomaly that areas like the Howgills are not in the National Park nor been designated an AONB. That said, the original National Parks were the first of areas to be protected, mountain and hill areas, wild and remote. Some time later as the pressure for controls grew, so the AONBs were designated, the second or a lesser grade of natural beauty.

The proposed new areas including the Lune Valley must be a third grade of natural beauty, way down the list of areas to be protected. They are neither a first tier mountain or hill area, nor a second tier AONB. Attractive the proposed extension areas may be, but they are not generally of the quality of natural beauty of a National Park. On the one hand to add the proposed extensions to the National Park would dilute the specialness of the natural beauty of the existing National Park.

The Lune and Eden Valleys will lose their identity if they are incorporated into what is now the YDNPA. They still have very strong local ties with what was Cumberland and Westmorland looking  to Kendal and Appleby – not to an office in Bainbridge in Yorkshire to which they have absolutely no link or tie. If incorporated in to the YDNP, matters of housing provision, building control, environmental health, economic development would still remain the remit of the district councils, but planning decisions would be a National Park matter.  Who would represent the interests of the areas?  The YDNPA would have to expand in staff and in costs to administer areas a long way from its administrative centre and to deal with matters presently more effectively and efficiently carried out by the District Councils.  If it could be proved either that the District Councils have been so incompetent at administering their areas, or that the residents unanimously believed being a part of the National Park would be their magic bullet, I might just consider an extension of the National Park boundary.  One has to question, as Natural England is forced to shrink, is it hopeful it can pass its functions to another like minded conservation centred body?

Mike Warden

Kevin Lancaster has been a member of South Lakeland District Council since 1997 and last year was elected to Cumbria County Council. He was a member of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority ( YDNPA ) from 1996 to 2011. His ward includes parishes that will be affected by the extensions to the Yorkshire Dales National Park proposed by Natural England. Here are excerpts from his letter to Natural England:

UNDEMOCRATIC

Personally, as a resident of Yorkshire Dales all my life and a member of the authority since 1996 and Chairman for the year 2008/9 I have little doubt that inclusion in the National Park has been harmful for the communities of Sedbergh, Garsdale and Dent, all of which I have represented since 1997. Fundamentally this harm stems from the inherently undemocratic nature of the authority. Yorkshire Dales is not worse than the other National Park Authorities – it is much better than several. But, the lack of direct electoral input results in an authority which exercises democratic functions over an area without any legitimacy. There is little surprise therefore that compared with the district and county authorities which serve their areas National Parks perform poorly.

LOSS OF IDENTITY

It is a fundamental weakness of most English National Parks that they sit in marginal land areas between settled communities. This is as true for Exmoor and the Lake District as it is for Yorkshire Dales. Thus whilst to outsiders “The Yorkshire Dales” appears as an entity it is in fact three distinct communities – Swaledale and Wensleydale looking towards Leyburn and Richmond; Wharfedale looking towards Skipton and Leeds; and Sedbergh and Dent looking towards Kendal and Lancaster. These distinct communities clearly interact but have little in common. It would be fair to say that the area which you designate “YD West” looks towards Kendal and Lancaster but the Northern search areas look more to Penrith and Carlisle. Certainly neither look towards Bainbridge or Grassington.Thus there is an immediate incongruity in linking these areas with “The Yorkshire Dales”. How much more is this imbalance exacerbated by the distinction of name. You will have seen the visceral opposition which has been engendered within the existing Yorkshire Dales by the suggestion that a more neutral name, either “The Dales NPA” or “Yorkshire and Westmorland Dales NPA” could be adopted. I shudder to think what the reaction would be to “Westmorland and Yorkshire Dales NPA”.

BIASED QUESTIONNAIRE

In your methodology you have made little serious attempt to engage with the communities concerned. It is unfortunate that the presentations from Natural England have been so completely one-sided and that you have failed to invite platform speakers who could give a cogent dissenting view. This in spite of the fact that many such people can be found. Regrettably you have relied on public meetings and responses to a biased questionnaire. In polling terms these cannot produce an accurate response and for a government body their use is a scandal.

IMPACT ON FARMERS

It has been asserted at public meetings that inclusion within the Yorkshire Dales will be beneficial for the farming industry. It is suggested that somehow the farming industry benefits from particular grants for farming within a National Park. That is self-evidently wrong. As a farmer in the Yorkshire Dales I have never been entitled to any grant which I would not have been entitled to farming the same land outside the park. It is dishonest to suggest otherwise. The only farmers which I know of who are within YDNP schemes are in the Ingleborough area and those schemes are dependent upon the special conservation area status of the land concerned. National Park designation is not relevant. The vast majority of farmers within YDNP receive no extra payments for being within the National Park and will not do in the future either. I understand the relevant officer of YDNP fully accepts that this is the case. I understand also that he objected to the relevant passage within the draft documentation. It is unfortunate that you chose to disregard his correction.

As a subordinate body under DEFRA I believe you have a duty to do a regulatory impact assessment to determine what effect designation would have on an agricultural business. You seem not to have done this. If you have which farms have you selected for the assessment ? My experience suggests that being within a National Park has a detrimental effect on most agricultural businesses. Whilst on the face of it the planning process is not materially different for agricultural buildings the experience of several of my constituents is that planning officers make the process difficult and sometimes there is little way forward without the intervention of members.

BUILDING CONSERVATION

It might be supposed that with specialist conservation staff a National Park would perform well on conservation of historic buildings. Whilst for the main part the archaeological staff and Building Conservation Officers have a sound generalist understanding of their subjects they lack specialist knowledge of the vernacular architecture of either the current National Park or the areas which surround it. This is my area of expertise and I have found the reports of planning officers and building conservation officers shocking in their gratuitous ignorance. There can be little confidence that protection of the built environment will be enhanced by inclusion within a National Park.

WIND FARMS

It is suggested that designation will prevent undesirable applications being approved on the open fells. It is not clear as to what exactly National Park status is intended to protect the area from. National conservation policy has changed markedly since the 1949 Act and national planning guidance effectively outlaws such development for the most part. As there could be little change on the open fells I must assume that the targets for this protection are either wind farms or other activities in the valley floors which are currently taking place lawfully. The proponents, even when directly challenged refuse to make clear what developments they wish to resist. I am sceptical as to whether NPA designation can make any difference to the wind farm issue. Certainly it ought not to as you have already claimed the land in question is of high landscape value by instigating this consultation. However, until a more rational approach is adopted on renewable energy the threat of wind farms will plague all of South Lakeland. All that further designation could do would be to concentrate the same number of wind farms in a narrower corridor between the two National Parks.

FARMING IN THE LUNE VALLEY

Virtually all of the land within the present YDNP is either “Disadvantaged” or “Severely Disadvantaged”. However, below Middleton Head the quality of the valley floor land improves dramatically. Much of the enclosed land within Middleton, Barbon and Casterton is extremely productive. The first cut of silage is generally complete in those areas by the end of May. Sedbergh is about a month later and Dent another month later still. It is indicative of your initial research that the report does not mention this fact. Travelling from Kirkby Lonsdale through the area of search and through the present YDNP no land of similar quality is encountered again until beyond Leyburn – beyond the National Park. Onerous as being within the park has been for farmers in Sedbergh and Dent this would be much more harmful to the highly productive farms of the Lune valley, many of which will not be eligible for the new Upland Stewardship scheme. I know of several farmers within Casterton and Barbon who have erected very large buildings in the last couple of years in order to remain competitive. It is their fear that a National Park would obstruct their future development plans. My experience as an NPA member supports their view.

NATIONAL PARK MEMBERSHIP

Another issue of great concern is membership of the National Park Authority. Historically there were 26 members and that number balanced up the three districts well. I note with concern the suggestion that the new authority could continue to operate with 22 members. In fact 26 are needed to represent the present area and a further four at least would be needed if all the proposed areas were to be included. Selection of Secretary of State Members would also have to be adjusted. At present Natural England appears to favour retirees from urban areas with virtually no understanding of the current Yorkshire Dales let alone the Lune valley. It seems that certain national charities such as the Campaign For National Parks promote candidates for vacancies to the disadvantage of genuine local candidates.

ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO PROTECT SPECIAL LANDSCAPES

It is to be regretted that your report does not consider alternatives to designation as part of a National Park. The whole of the suggested western extension is along with Sedbergh, Garsdale and Dent part of the historic entity of Lonsdale – Kirkby Lonsdale, Middleton in Lonsdale and Sedbergh in Lonsdale. This is a natural collection which dates back beyond the Conquest. In 1086 they comprised the very last entry in the Domesday Book. I would advocate that YD West should become an AONB (Area of Natural Beauty). “The Upper Lonsdale AONB”, “South Westmorland AONB” are all names which are suggested. At many public meetings where your proposals received an extremely hostile reception this suggestion was on the contrary welcomed.

DISRUPTIVE

Designation of a major part of its area as National Park would be extremely disruptive to South Lakeland. Its LDF and employment land policies would all have to be substantially re-written. It is understandable that residents of South Lakeland outside the two National Parks are extremely concerned that development will have to be squeezed within their areas.

There were no ARC committee members at the YDNPA planning committee meeting on Tuesday, June 14, but here is a short report. This is based upon the officers’ reports.

Barden Fell: The Trustees of the Chatsworth Settlement had applied for full planning permission to upgrade a moorland track and create a new one running alongside a dry stone wall to link with two existing tracks on Barden Fell between Wharfedale and W Nidderdale. This was to provide vehicular access to manage livestock and to carry out moorland management and gamekeeping activities. The tracks would be used by four-wheeled vehicles and tractors. It was argued that the benefit of the work carried out would outweigh the negative impact upon this SAC (Special Area of Conservation) and SSSI. Natural England, however objected on the basis that 0.3 hectares of dry dwarf shrub heath habitat would be lost, and some more damaged. The trustees had suggested ways to mitigate this. The planning committee decided to defer making a decision.

Chapel le Dale:  The committee also deferred making a decision on the application from the Cam Woodland Trust to upgrade a section of an existing track and create a transhipping area for the storage and loading of timber at the entrance of Far Gearstones Farm, Chapel le Dale. This would be a temporary measure for 12 months to bring out windblown timber from Cam Wood, where the Sitka Spruce planted in 1968 and 1969 is now fully mature. The Trust has the right to use the Cam High Road as it owns land adjacent to it, but the timber would be taken along this ancient road by tractor and trailer.

Hawes: The committee confirmed its decision at the May meeting to give retrospective planning permission for the air source heating unit at Steppe Haugh in Hawes (see the May report).

Ribblehead : The committee agreed that enforcement action should be taken to secure the removal of an unauthorised shelter at the Station Inn, Ribblehead. The owner has denied that it was a “smoking shed” but was for those sheltering from the elements while waiting for busses and trains. Both the planning and enforcement officers reported that the shelter had an unacceptable impact upon a simple, traditional building.

An ARC News service report:

Town Head, Hawes – A couple in Hawes found a 21st century solution to heating their 17th century house – only to have their air source heat pump described as an ugly intrusion to the town’s roofscape and be threatened with enforcement if it wasn’t removed. The YDNPA planning committee did not, however, accept the officer’s recommendation.

Margaret Grattan told the YDNPA planning committee on Tuesday, May 10: “We believe in the present climate everyone must do their best for the environment and the community that we live in.” So she and her husband  wanted an alterative to a central heating system which used oil – a non renewable fossil fuel. They were advised by the manufacturers and installers that for their house, which has no loft space, the best location for an air source heat pump was on the small section of flat roof which overlooked the A684 near the garage in Hawes. This section is protected on three sides by other roofs. The unit has provided sufficient heating for the Grattan’s house for over a year.

N Yorks County Coun John Blackie pointed out that all 15 of their neighbours had written in support of their retrospective application, many of whom hadn’t even known where the unit was until the YDNPA planning officer recommended refusal. Coun Blackie did not take part in the debate at the parish council meeting. The parish council subsequently wrote to the YDNPA to support the Grattan’s application and stated:

“Councillors were alarmed to hear that the Chief Executive of the YDNPA had written to the local MP, Mr Hague, enclosing some zoomed photographs which gave an inaccurate impression of the visual appearance of the heat source unit in the overall street scene, along with his comment ‘I think the photographs speak for themselves.’ They felt that as Chief Officer ultimately responsible for the decisions of the Planning Service, he should have remained impartial until the application has been decided, and the bias he has shown against it at this stage was most unfortunate.”

At the April planning committee it was decided to hold a site meeting at the Grattan’s home. At the May meeting several members of the committee said that the unit was just one more piece of “roof top detritus” in a town full of TV aerials, satellite dishes and wires as well as the large garage signs nearby. They did not feel that the unit was that obvious and believed that if it was moved to the southern elevation it would have an unsightly impact upon the 17th century aspect of that row of houses as well as disturbing some of the neighbours due to the noise it made.

Coun Blackie was among those who did not believe it would set a precedent especially as very  few residents would be able to copy exactly what the Grattans had done. Mrs Grattan reminded the committee that small scale energy developments were decided on a case by case basis.

The majority of the members decided not to accept the planning officer’s recommendations that not only should the application be refused but that if the air source heat pump was not relocated to the southern elevation within three months of the committee’s decision then enforcement action would be commenced. The planning officer was asked to discuss with the Grattans if it was possible to paint the unit to make it less obvious. This decision will, therefore, be discussed again at the June meeting.

Raybridge Lane, Gargrave – The majority of the members of the planning committee also decided not to accept the recommendation of a planning officer to refuse an application for the erection of a two storey extension to Raybridge House. A site meeting was held there in April.

Mrs Joyce Varley explained that the extension would provide a bigger kitchen as well as a defence against flooding. The house had been flooded twice since 1992 with water gaining access through a door. The new door would be set higher and would not be facing towards the source of the water when there was flooding.

The planning officer stated that the extension would dominate the existing building and would result in the loss of the traditional style frontage. It was pointed out by some members that it was not clear what was the historical frontage of the house, and the “traditional style” one referred to had been created in the 1930s. The owners did intend to use some of the interesting older stonework in the extension.  This “frontage” is not that visible from the minor road adjoining the property.

Andrew Colley said that the main view of the house was from the Leeds Liverpool Canal and that had been spoilt by the addition of a conservatory for which the YDNPA had granted permission in 1995. It was decided that as the majority of members voted to approve the Varley’s application and there were no conditions to be attached, this decision would not need to be referred back to the May meeting.

Dry Rigg Quarry, Helwith Bridge

David Parrish, the YDNPA minerals officer, reported that the existing planning permission for quarrying at Dry Rigg would expire on May 31 2011. He recommended that the company should be given additional time to negotiate the details of the planning application made in January this year to extend mineral working at the quarry until December 2021.

He reported that consultees and local residents had raised further issues relating to the transport of material from the site including the use of rail haulage; the protection of Swarth Moor SSSI; and landscaping and restoration. A full report should be made to the planning committee no later than the September meeting.

Enforcement notices

Thornton Rust Hall cottages – The committee was informed that the appeal hearing regarding the enforcement notices on the cottages in the Outgang at Thornton Rust had been set for August 16 but the owner had requested that there should be an appeal inquiry.

ARC News Service:

Carlton in Coverdale – There were gasps of surprise at the YDNPA planning committee on Tuesday March 12 when members heard that villagers in Carlton in Coverdale had already received pledges amounting to £157,500 towards buying the Foresters Arms and turning it into a community pub. All of the villagers on the committee set up to take over the pub attended the planning meeting. Their representative, Peter Pearson, explained to the members why they did not want the YDNPA to approve a planning application from the owners that would allow part of the pub to be turned into two dwellings. They felt that for the pub to be viable it needed a restaurant and letting rooms. They also wanted the space so that they could in the future provide a village shop and be able to support youth and sports activities. When proposing that their request should be granted N Yorks County Coun Roger Harrison Topham said that the members  should make every effort to help the villagers in their efforts to retain their pub as it is at the moment.  Other members agreed that for a rural pub letting rooms were a vital part of the business, as well as the ability to provide evening meals. The majority, therefore, supported the villagers.

Little Stainforth – The majority of members accepted the planning officer’s argument that the impact of the 21 external lighting columns at Knight Stainforth Caravan Park was relatively low. As the lights were angled downwards they would not have a damaging effect in a dark, rural location. This was a retrospective planning application.

Site meetings at Gargrave and Hawes : Members agreed that there should be site meetings at Raybridge House in Raybridge Lane, Gargrave , and at Steppe Haugh, Town Head, in Hawes. At Raybridge House the owners want to erect a two storey extension. A planning officer recommended refusal because it was felt this would dominate the existing building and result in the loss of the traditional style frontage. There was some discussion about what was the original frontage of the building. The parish council supports the application. At Steppe Haugh an officer recommended refusing the retrospective planning application for the installation of an air source heat pump on the roof as it was felt it was causing significant harm to the visual and landscape amenity of the area. County Coun John Blackie did not take part in the debate about this at Hawes and High Abbotside Parish Council. The parish council strongly supported the application, and 17 residents had written to state they had no objection.

Kettlewell – The committee approved the 19 conditions to the planning permission for the development Scargill House at Kettlewell (see appendix B under Scargill House), and added one more:  that the three new houses to be built should be tied to the ancillary use of Scargill House as a Christian residential and educational centre. It was agreed that North Yorks County Council should be asked to impose a 20mph limit on the narrow stretches of road that lorries will use to access the site, especially as it is expected that the phased building work will take over four years to complete. It was also agreed that a small group of members should be available to mediate between residents and Scargill House over any traffic problems. William Weston felt that the Authority should always take a positive stance towards encouraging the use of sustainable energy sources and energy conservation.

Chelker Reservoir - It was agreed to support Craven District Council in its objection to the proposal by Yorkshire Water to replace the existing wind turbines at Chelker Reservoir with three new ones.  This was because the new ones will have a tip height of almost 40m more than the present ones. Among the views within the National Park that would be affected would be that painted by Turner of Bolton Abbey. Roger Bingham said they would be alien structures which would be as high as the Blackpool Tower. Coun Harrison Topham commented that even the present wind turbines were absolutely hideous. Not all the members were so convinced that the proposed new ones would be so visually intrusive but the majority upheld the planning officer’s recommendation.

Primrose Glen, Embsay – A planning officer reported that the dams at the Mill Ponds, Primrose Glen, Pasture Road, Embsay, were in a poor state of repair and so there was inadequate flow of water. The planning permission granted in 2005  for the development of the former tannery site had included bringing the dams into a watertight and structurally sound condition. It was agreed that as this had not been complied with the owners were asked to give a written undertaking to carry out the works within an agreed timescale within 28 days or an enforcement notice would be issued

As the cost of fuel soars hill farmers will have to look at ways of making their land more productive, Harold Brown told the YDNPA Authority meeting on March 29. Grants  from Defra ’s Countryside Stewardship Scheme do not cover costs and will come to an end in a few years, he explained and described the agency’s Uplands Policy Review as simply fine words.

Mr Brown, who is chairman of Grinton Parish Council in Swaledale, said that farmers in Upper Swaledale were now very worried. “They have brought the land fertility down for this scheme in the interests of wild flowers and they can’t grow enough fodder for what stock they have. So they have to lead it in from down country.”

If there was no increase in government grants they would have to consider an increase in productivity by grazing more sheep, he said. He added that the average age of hill farmers was now 60 with the younger ones not being willing  to take over a 24/7 job from which they couldn’t make a living wage. Neither he nor Richmondshire Dt Coun  Raymond Alderson, also from Swaledale, were convinced that the government schemes were so necessary for the conservation of the landscape.

Coun Alderson commented: “There is no need by boffins to tell hill farmers how to farm these hills. Our forebears have been there for hundreds of years.” He prophesied that with the rising fuel costs every inch of land in the UK would have to produce what if could and that corn would be grown as far up the valleys as possible.

When discussing the Tim Thom’s 2nd biodiversity action plan for the Yorkshire Dales National Park Coun Alderson queried the emphasis upon reducing grazing in upland areas. He said that when animals were grazing on the moors there was less rubbishy growth which choked other plants, and less need to burn heather. Mr Thom responded that it was a matter of the right management for each part of the dales and he had visited many farmers when working on the action plan.

N Yorks County Coun Roger Harrison-Topham said: “The problem is actually reconciling what one wants in terms of biodiversity with getting an economic use of the land. It is that clash which needs resolving.” He also pointed out that just getting the ecology of an area right didn’t always lead to attracting back various species such as the black grouse. He wondered if more should be done to study the impact of predation particularly by rooks.

Gary Smith, the YDNPA’s head of conservation and policy, noted that the Authority was the only one to have a biodiversity survey and action plan. “We are in a very different position to any other national park or local authority in the country. So at least we are in a position where we have evidence to back up everything we say (about the habitat).”

The members did adopt the Nature in the Dales 2020 (Vision) as the basis for developing its own biodiversity programmes and for working with partner bodies, farmers and landowners. For details of that see www.natureinthedales.org.uk.

Arc News Service

Arc News Service – YDNPA full Authority meeting, March 29, discussions on Dales bus services, sharing services with other local authorities and super broadband.

(see also YDNPA – Planning Committee Meetings, and YDNPA – the future of hill farming)

Transport:The Yorkshire Dales could lose its local bus services for a year, David Butterworth, the chief executive of the YDNPA, warned. The YDNPA has found it difficult to know how to secure the bus services already operating within the Yorkshire Dales now that the government is preparing to introduce its Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF).

N Yorks County Coun Shelagh Marshall told the meeting  that the government would only accept two bids from North Yorkshire even though the county included York and two national parks as well as large urban areas.

The present central government seemed to have little comprehension of the problems in rural areas and had given the impression that it didn’t know where the national parks were in the county said N Yorks County Coun John Blackie .He was among those who felt this was having a serious impact upon the discussions about the Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) for North Yorkshire.

Sharing services: Mr Butterworth told members that there had been exploratory discussions with Richmondshire District Council about the possibility of shared or joint services as a way of cutting costs. The two particularly discussed were planning and corporate services as there were shared communalities he said. The specialist services that the YDNPA could offer included conservation and  building conservation. He added that the YDNPA would not want to go further with these discussions until after the local elections in May.

Coun Blackie, the Authority’s member champion for planning,  commented “The planners at Richmondshire District Council are first class. However in terms of our level of talent, skills and expertise … National Park is second to none.”

Super Broadband: When reporting on the broadband conference held in Ripon in February District Coun Yvonne Peacock was concerned that the proposed Super Broadband schemes would not reach into the most rural areas of the Dales. “There are many areas around the Park that cannot get broadband,” she said.

Coun Blackie commented that in parts of  Upper Wensleydale it was not possible to get either terrestrial TV or radio stations, there were still party lines for the telephones, and there was no mobile telephone network. “The great hope is super rural broadband – otherwise these extremely rural communities will be left behind in the 19th century for communications. We really must make sure we don’t miss out,” he said.

Coun Shelagh Marshall was concerned that the internet connections to rural libraries might be cut off if those are closed. This, she said, would be a retrograde step, especially when more and more information from the government and other authorities was often only being available via the internet.

The lack of broadband was affecting the economy of the Dales as people could not set up businesses that required good internet connections. Craven Dt Coun John Roberts said that the very poor broadband provision in Wharfedale had led to one resident losing a potential buyer for his home.

Planning issues discussed at the YDNPA full authority meeting on March 29. -

Planning committee meetings: Holding the YDNPA planning committee meetings in the afternoon will be a recipe for disaster said N Yorks County Coun Richard Welch. It was proposed to hold these in the afternoon of the second Tuesday of each month so that other meetings could be held in the morning. This should produce some direct savings in postage, the cost of printing agendas, travel expenses and catering.

But Coun Welch commented that holding the planning committee meetings in the afternoons would be atrocious and totally unworkable. “It is a high profile meeting – and the public might be here until 5.30pm. I think it is a recipe for disaster,” he said.

It was pointed out that in the past the full authority meetings had been held in the morning followed by the planning committee meetings – but that was before members of the public had the right to speak. Graham Dalton said the public gallery was often full at planning committee and there could be contentious issues to deal with. “We need to be alert and I feel the time for that is in the morning.”

The chairman, Carl Lis, asked the members to give the new system a chance and reminded members that because of the budget cuts there would be 34 less staff. With the Authority facing such a large budget cut the members had to do their bit. He was supported by the Member champion for Planning, N Yorks Coun John Blackie. He said he had initially felt that planning committee meetings should be held on a separate day but David Butterworth, the chief executive, convinced him they should give it a try. “I said it was against my better judgement (but) I said it was better to try and fail rather than not try.”

Mr Butterworth commented that as they would have less staff there would be less business at the various meetings. There were also less planning applications for members to discuss as so many were dealt with by officers under delegated powers.

The members allowances will not change and it was noted that often they are receiving below the minimum hourly wage, especially as some have increased work loads as member champions and due to the additional meetings that they attend on behalf of the YDNPA. It was felt that younger people would not be willing to become members if the allowances were too low and it would only be possible to recruit those who were retired or semi retired.

The changes begin in April with the planning committee meeting starting at 1pm on April 12. There will be no planning committee meeting in January 2012. The number of full Authority meetings each year will be reduced from six to four. It was agreed to cut the cost of the lunch time meals when meetings were being held. Thirteen members voted for the changes; three against and there was one abstention.

Planning department: Coun Blackie reported that since the re-organisation of the planning department in 2009  there had been a genuine improvement in the service. This was apparent from the customer satisfaction questionnaires and from the focus group of those regularly in contact with the planning department, including some parish councils.

He said there had been far less complaints. Even so they would continuously pursue improvement.  “The key issue is communication,” he said and added that far fewer people had complained about not receiving replies to the letters and emails they had sent to the planning department.

Coun Roberts, however, reported that there had still been complaints about the failure to respond to emails, particularly regarding the Scargill House development. Residents were also concerned about what they saw as inconsistencies in planning decisions. South Lakeland Dt Coun Kevin Lancaster queried how “inconsistency” was defined. “We need to be fair and we need to treat people equally,” he said, adding that sometimes being consistent led to what would appear to be unfair decisions.

There was also concern that with large and complicated planning applications it was possible to give the applicants so much time to explain their plans that to the objectors it looked as if the Authority was creating an unbalanced playing field.

Some parish councils also wanted to be kept informed about amendments to applications. As it was not a statutory duty of the Authority to do this  Coun Blackie suggested that parish councils should inform the YDNPA that they wanted updates about specific applications.

Coun Blackie wanted assurance that the Authority would take firm and quick action on enforcement issues and pointed out that their specialist on enforcement, Andrew McCullough, was leaving.  And Richmondshire Dt Coun Raymond Alderson commented “We don’t want to get so low on personnel that people can take liberties.”  Peter Watson, the head of planning, believed that this would not happen now that enforcement had been integrated with the planning officer teams.

Andrew Colley asked why so many “minor applications” were taking so long to be resolved. Mr Watson explained that more legal documents had to be drawn up now that many applications involved affordable housing.

There was some discussion about how to keep residents better informed about planning applications and how these were dealt with. Coun Lancaster said that maybe they could copy the French method which involved a very large sign in bold print being put up to advise residents about a planning application. “Those can’t be hidden,” he said.

ARC News Service

The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority ( YDNPA ) will continue to help to fund Hudson House in Reeth after 2013.

At the full authority meeting on Tuesday, March 29,  a majority  agreed with the proposal put forward by Coun Stuart Parsons that £20,000 a year should be ring fenced within the promotion of community understanding budget from 2013 to 2015. This will be £7,000 a year less than Hudson House is receiving from the YDNPA at present and so, as N Yorks  County Coun Blackie said, it would receive its fair share of the budget cuts.

It had been proposed to stop funding Hudson House after 2013 ( see Hudson House, Reeth) but many of those who responded to the public consultation about the budget cuts the YDNPA planned to make were concerned that this would lead to the collapse of this community facility. David Butterworth, the YDNPA chief executive, commented that the consultation showed that Hudson House merited the greatest consideration when assessing the budget cuts.

N Yorks County Coun Parsons said: “It is fairly obvious that if we do not support Hudson House we are threatening more than a tourist information centre – we are completely threatening a community. The importance of this consultation is we can as an Authority turn round and say ‘thank you for your comments, we have listened , we have taken on board everything you said.’ ”

When seconding Coun Parson’s proposal Coun John Blackie said: “In a consultation like this you ask the question and then at your peril if you ignore the response.” He added that if the YDNPA pulled out of the partnership which supported Hudson House others might follow and this would lead to the collapse of what he described as a  wonderful community initiative and one which epitomised how the Authority should be working with residents and parish councils.

Ann  Brooks however asked where the additional funds set aside for Hudson House would come from and requested a detailed report on the structure and financing of this project.

In his proposal, which was accepted by a majority of the members, Coun Parsons asked that YDNPA officers should enter into immediate and robust discussions with all partners to ensure the long term future of Hudson House. “It is now up to others to change and find a way of retaining the service.”  The YDNPA should therefore work with other local authorities and the public to find a way to save the facility.

Mr Butterworth reported  that he had met with the chair of the Hudson House partnership the previous day. He said that it could not be a question of the YDNPA riding to the rescue of another local venture that was really the responsibility of another body.

He reminded members that there would soon be a review of all of the YDNPA visitor centres. The funds that the YDNPA gives to Hudson House support the Authority’s visitor centre there. This, however, did not compare well with those at Aysgarth, Hawes, Grassington and Malham. For that reason, he said, the members would have to be careful when they prepared the terms of reference for that review that these took into consideration the community aspect of the Hudson House project.

Carlton in Coverdale – The YDNPA planning committee made a 180 degree turn to completely change a decision it made in January regarding the Foresters Arms in Carlton in Coverdale. At the meeting on January 11 the planning officer had recommended that the application to convert part of the building into two cottages leaving the pub with a small flat should be approved as long as all were for local occupancy.  The head of planning, Peter Watson, has pointed out that this was in accordance with the Local Plan. In January, however, the members sort to allay the fears of the local community about the possible loss of the only pub in the village by agreeing that one of the cottages should be tied to the Foresters Arms so that it always had sufficient accommodation for those running it. At the February meeting, when this needed to be ratified, members were told that the pub had been closed on January 12. Any decision was therefore deferred while the planning officer checked on the situation at the pub. This included what was happening to the fixtures and fittings, if any items had been removed or sold, and the availability of the land for the proposed new toilets. In his response Andy Pritchard stated that he and his wife had only cleared their personal possessions and his building materials from the pub. He added that the YDNPA’s own independent viability study had stated that the alterations were a sensible solution to improve the viability of the pub. At the meeting on March 8 Carlton Town Parish Coun Ray Brown reported that some pub furniture and some other items  had been removed or sold in what he described as asset stripping. He asked the committee not to approve the application. County Couns Roger Harrison Topham and John Blackie and other members were also concerned about asset stripping. It was felt that there was more chance of the pub becoming a viable business again if it had letting rooms and could provide food. It was reported that the land required for a new toilet block (which was an integral part of the application) was not for sale at this time. There were a majority of members in favour of refusing the application but this will have to be ratified at the April meeting.

Aysgarth - Dr Derek Hoyle explained that this planning application would revert the  Doctors’ House site back to being two plots as it had been before the main house was built in 1890. In the mid 1980s the stable loft was converted into a flat. The latest application is to extend the stable loft to provide additional living accommodation, and to erect a double garage on the east side of the main house with its own access to the cul de sac below the Methodist chapel. The Highways Authority had, however, stated that this access would be severely substandard and would offer no visibility on the east side. The planning officer had, therefore, recommended that the application should be refused. Aysgarth and District Parish Coun Peter Windle, Dr Hoyle and Dt Coun Yvonne Peacock argued that this was a quiet cul de sac and so the new access would not be a safety risk. Their arguments were accepted by the members who voted unanimously for the application to be approved. The head of planning, Peter Watson, said that in view of such a vote this decision would not be referred back to the April meeting even though it was against officer recommendation.

Gayle – The Highways Authority was also concerned about the below standard visibility of the access from the agricultural buildings on Harker Hill if they were converted into two houses. The planning officer, however, told the committee that any alterations to the plans to provide safer access would adversely affect the visual character and quality of the area. He added: “It is considered that the desirability of retaining the existing traditional stone buildings and their contribution to the character of the area would outweigh the objections of the Highway Authority…” The committee members agreed with him and approved the application. These will be open market houses as the buildings are within the development boundary of Gayle.

Muker – Members agreed with the planning officer that the agricultural occupancy condition could be removed from Ravensghyll, as long as it then became accommodation that would be used by persons meeting the local needs criteria, and that within six months the owners stopped using it as a holiday cottage.

Sedbergh – Planning permission was granted for the erection of two three-bedroom houses on land associated with 1 Settlebeck Cottages. One of these would be an affordable house for local people  and the parish council was concerned that secure arrangements would be put in place to ensure that it would remain as such. As it comes under South Lakeland District Council the applicant has agreed that this will be done through that council’s discounted scheme. County Coun John Blackie expressed interest in this scheme as it made it possible to build just one or two affordable houses in a village. This was often difficult when a registered social landlord was involved due to economies of scale.

Sedbergh – Sedbergh parish council had requested that if planning permission was granted for barns at Scrogg House Farm to be used for stabling and a field for horse exercise that there should be a robust stock proof fence to protect the public footpath. Committee member,  South Lakes Dt Coun Kevin Lancaster, however, asked that the stock proof fence should be as minimal as possible so that it would not heavily intrude upon the open views. The application was approved subject to a Section 106 agreement to tie Scrogg House to the ownership of the stables and the adjoining land. The conditions include no jumps, fences or other horse related items to be placed in the field.

The Association of Rural Communities (ARC) is very concerned about the proposal to extend the boundaries of the YDNPA at a time when all the National Park Authorities and Natural England are having to cut back on both staff and services due to the budget cuts. The Association therefore sent the following letter to the president (Ben Fogle) and the Chief Executive of the Campaign for National Parks (CNP):

“ARC can understand that, in this time of financial cutbacks, the CNP wishes to raise funds to help preserve some of the important work being carried out by National Parks such as the Ranger services, footpath maintenance and other projects to conserve and enhance the countryside. But we feel this would be seriously undermined if money went to a campaign to extend some National Park boundaries, especially as there is quite a considerable amount of opposition to these plans which means there will be a very expensive public inquiry.”

To this the Chief Executive, Helen Jackson, responded that the CNP would continue raising money to support the campaign for the extension of the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks. She added: “We believe that many local people support these proposals.”

Is there so much support for stretching the resources of these National Park Authorities at a time when we are all feeling the pinch of financial austerity?  Why not share your views with ARC by posting a comment here.

An Association of Rural Communities news report on the special full Authority meeting of the YDNPA on February 3, 2011, when members agreed to the proposed budget cuts:

The National Parks have come off worse than all other local authority type organisations, the YDNPA’s head of finance and resources, Richard Burnett, told the members.  The YDNPA’s budget will be profoundly affected by the cut to its core grant from Defra and the chief executive, David Butterworth warned:

“Let’s not kid ourselves – this is a very tough financial settlement – it is worse than we expected. The cuts over the next four years are in the region of £2 million. That is £2 million out of £5.7 million – anybody can see that is a very significant budget reorganisation.” He urged the members to get a grasp of that and added: “I was a bit taken aback by some of the discussion at the last Authority meeting when at least a couple of members were kind of running away with the idea that it was simply a question of us doing the same kind of things but with fewer people. That’s not the case. We will be doing considerably less than we are doing now. It’s not a question of doing more with less, but of doing less with less. We particularly need to get this across to the public. I think it is incumbent upon us all, officers and members, to recognise what is happening within our communities. The public doesn’t understand yet what is coming – though it is bound to hit more in the next few months.”

The figure of almost £2 million had been calculated by adding the cost of inflation to the expected cut in grants from Defra of £1.434m. But Mr Butterworth warned that Defra had only given a settlement for 2011/12, and then indicative figures for the next three years. This meant that Defra could reduce the settlements for those years, he said. When asking the members to approve a budget which included the deletion of 11 of the Authority’s 36 programmes and other cuts he said: “If you are proposing things going back into the budget something else has got to come out, because the bottom line is not changing.”

He continued: “We are going to be losing around 30 members of staff in a variety of different areas – voluntary redundancy, compulsory redundancy, retirements and the end of some existing contracts.”

N Yorks County Coun Stuart Parsons commented that at least the YDNPA was trying to reduce staff costs and retain front line services, as compared to Richmondshire District Council and North Yorkshire County Council.

He said afterwards: “If the county council actually reduced its senior management costs it would be able to save all the busses it is threatening to cut, plus the libraries. The YDNPA is the only local authority I know of in this area that is prepared to seriously cut down its management costs and the proposed restructuring will lose three senior well paid managers. Their jobs will go and this Authority is facing that an using that as a way of saving front line services. And the others should be doing the same thing.”

The public consultation on the YDNPA’s draft budget for 2011/12  lasts until March 10. There is a summary of changes on the YDNPA’s website, but the impact is likely to be even greater.

For instance it had been expected that the Authority’s Sustainable Development Fund would be used to assist at least 15 new projects each year but that has been scaled down to 10. The Authority is considering introducing charges for services such as the planning officers giving advice on applications. (One wonders how many hours planning officers spent on helping with  the Scargill House application.)

The Authority will develop “paid for” leaflets at a price that will cover the production costs, and it is likely that visitor centres will depend upon the assistance of volunteers to remain open. In the report to the Finance and Resources committee it was stated: “It is very likely that necessity will require the Authority to use volunteers in areas of work where there are no longer employed staff, or where there are insufficient staff remaining to maintain a particular service with consequent risk to the jobs of those remaining staff.” And it warned that it would be unrealistic to expect to maintain the existing levels of satisfaction at visitor centres.

The YDNPA expects to make an additional £1.5K income from 2012/13 by removing the staff discount scheme in its retail section. In that year the retail service is expected to make a £96,660 profit. The Authority’s car parks will do even better – bringing in over £460,000 a year.

An Association of Rural Communities news report following the meeting of the YDNPA planning committee on Tuesday, February 8.

ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS:

Thornton Rust - The YDNPA committee discussed the new houses on the Thornton Rust Hall estate in closed session. It was agreed that an enforcement notice should be issued immediately as some of the remedial works had not been carried out. The key issue was the need to lower the roofs so that both semi-detached houses were two-storeys high rather than three.

Helwith Bridge, Horton-in-Ribblesdale: The recommendation of the enforcement officer that the smoking shelter at Helwith Bridge Hotel was accepted. It was noted that the publican had written: “If this (the shelter) is unacceptable we will pull it down.” He explained that the shelter was built for the use of nature lovers, bird watchers and also as a train watchers ‘bothy’.

Langar – North Yorkshire County Council will be asked to pay for, or to carry out remedial works to the access and gateway from a field  which is part of Ling Chapel Farm. The planning committee agreed that the enforcement action should be taken against the county council’s highways department as it had mistakenly advised the owner and tenant that they did not need planning permission.

Beamsley – The YDNPA’s solicitor was authorised to pursue prosecution proceedings against the owner of the former telephone exchange at Pacegate, Beamsley. The owner has made various appeals against the enforcement notice issued by the YDNPA but all have been dismissed. As costs were awarded to the Authority by the Planning Inspectorate YDNPA’s solicitor will also seek repayment, possibly by submitting a claim to the Senior Courts Costs Office.  Members were informed that these amounted to over £6,000.

PLANNING APPLICATIONS

Stainforth – Three residents of Stainforth wrote to the YDNPA stating that they had received insufficient notice (just 3.5 days) that the amended plans for the division of Ingle-byre into two dwellings would be discussed at the February meeting. Two of them asked that the decision should be deferred to give appropriate time for consideration and comment. The third pointed out that Ingle-byre had been split into two without planning permission and that the front door of that used as a holiday cottage impeded onto land used for vehicular access by other residents. She added: “If this application is recommended then it seems that it sets a precedent to build and change what you want without going through the proper channels, and get away with it.”

The YDNPA had issued an enforcement notice in September 2010 requiring the cessation of the use of the property as two dwellings. The owners, Mr and Mrs Colau, had then made a retrospective planning application to regularise the sub division. This application included a wind turbine, a glass roof drying area, a gate across the public right of way, retrospective permission for a decking area, a flag and a stone cairn with charity collection box inside. These were deleted from the application. The planning officer reported that a house could be sub-divided so long as this did not have an adverse effect upon the amenity of neighbours or the character of the area, and that the additional unit created would be for local occupancy. In one of the letters of objection it was stated, however: “This has had an impact on ourselves and other local residents for years. It is ourselves and other residents that have been trying to get the YDNP to take action against unauthorised development. Previous documentation referring to Ingle-byre planning applications have mysteriously disappeared in a small fire at the planning office (as stated previously to Stainforth Parish Council).

At the planning meeting N Yorks County Coun John Blackie queried whether the radio transmissions from Ingle Byre would affect the television reception in neighbouring properties. None of the members referred to the residents’ letters or the request for a deferral.  The majority voted to accept the planning officer’s recommendation that permission should be granted so long as one of the dwellings was for local occupancy.

Carlton in Coverdale – N Yorks County Coun Roger Harrison Topham reported that the day after the January planning committee meeting the Foresters Arms at Carlton was closed and was almost completely stripped of the fittings and furniture. At the January meeting the committee had agreed to the proposed alterations to the pub and the conversion of part of it into two cottages, one being for local occupancy and the other tied to the pub. This decision had to be ratified at the February meeting. The members agreed to defer making such a decision so the situation could be clarified. They specifically wanted to know if the land on which the toilet extension would be built would be sold to the pub owners,  and if there was a timetable for re-opening the pub or it being under new ownership.

Malham Moor: The planning committee refused permission for a 30m high 100 kw wind turbine near Lee Gate farm. The total height to top of a tip blade would be 40m. “This is the largest turbine we have considered,” said one member.

South Lakes Dt Coun Kevin Lancaster  commented that if this was approved the YDNPA would not be able to refuse any application for wind turbines. “I am totally in favour of energy generation but this is not the way to do it.” William Weston agreed with the planning officer that the open nature of the site and the visibility of the turbine in that position on the moor would make it unacceptable. He suggested that solar panels should be considered instead.

Grinton parish councillor Harold Brown said he would support the applicant, Frank Carr,  but would prefer two smaller turbines. He warned that a lot more had to be done to support hill farmers. Mr Carr explained that the supermarkets to which the farm was sending meat did expect that the carbon footprint of the producers should be reduced.

In its comments Kirkby Malhamdale parish council stated: “Concern was expressed at the precedence that might be set in the National Park by approval of the application. The visual impact of wind turbines including single turbines, is highly sensitive to siting and it is important that each case is considered on its merits. Planning guidance is needed to clarify the National Park’s policy.”

Austwick: Permission was granted to amend the previously approved application to build five local occupancy dwellings at Pant Head, Austwick. These amendments are to extend the curtilage of three of the dwellings;  to alter the parking arrangements and the provision of bin storage areas;and to slightly alter the vehicular access to the highway.

Although Austwick parish council was happy that three of the houses would be provided with more recreation space it was concerned about not setting a precedent of breaching the housing development boundary. The YDNPA has therefore stated that the garden areas would remain outside of the boundary unless it was formally varied through the LDF review. Planning permission will have to be obtained to add anything to or make any changes to the houses, and that includes conservatories, sheds or greenhouses. The parish council had suggested that the gardens be restricted to personal recreational use only.

The parish council was also concerned about the loss of some bin storage spaces but the planning officer pointed out that for two of the houses there would be access to the back garden and it was not possible to insist that people used the storage spaces provided.

Conistone Moor: The YDNPA Ranger service had applied for full planning permission for the construction of a wooden bridleway bridge over Mossdale Beck. Permission was granted in September but the application was re-submitted because, following detailed investigation into ground levels, it was found that the design had to be altered. It will also be widened to make it easier for horse riders to use it. The new application was approved by the committee.

Arkleside – Permission was granted to convert a partly derelict barn at Arkleside into a home for a game keeper. This is in open countryside but the applicant, Martin Vallance, has demonstrated that there is a need for a rural worker’s dwelling and that there is no alternative accommodation available. Members were impressed by the plans to make this dwelling independent and sustainable and so reducing its impact upon the environment. County Coun John Blackie commended the plans for making the best use of a redundant barn. Grinton parish councillor Harold Brown added that game keepers were very important in such a rural area and there would not be heather on the top of the moors without them. The new dwelling will belong to Mr Vallance’s estate and so will always be the game keeper’s cottage.

Swaleview Caravan Park, near Reeth: In view of the government’s policy about caravan sites as outlined in its “Good Practice Guide for Planning for Tourism” and the way that had been upheld at appeal the members accepted the planning officer’s recommendation that Swaleview Caravan Park should be allowed to operate as a holiday park all year round.

West Burton: County Coun John Blackie said that although Burton cum Walden parish council was saddened that Richard Johnson had not initially applied for planning permission for the erection of a timber building and changed the use of a strip of land to domestic curtilage but it did accept that the building was sited in the least visible place in the field behind his home in West Burton. It did not therefore oppose the retrospective planning application but did ask that the building be restricted to being a kennel for two dogs and that the storage area was used for ancillary domestic purposes only. The retrospective application was approved and the conditions included: the storage and kennels to be used for domestic purposes only; the withdrawal of permitted development rights within the new curtilage; no outside runs for the dogs unless otherwise agreed by the planning authority; and for a dry stone wall to be erected within eight weeks.

An Association of Rural Communities news report

The YDNPA planning committee on Tuesday February 8 imposed more conditions on the re-development of the Scargill House centre at Kettlewell in response to the concerns expressed by residents and business people in Wharfedale. The planning application by the Scargill Movement to alter, carry out selective demolition and build new accommodation blocks and a sports hall was approved but with tighter controls.

These were: that the accommodation at the centre should be restricted to the numbers stated in the application;  that the traffic management plan should be reviewed annually and that Kettlewell with Starbottom Parish Council should be involved; there should be an ecological plan for the whole site, including all the trees and the traditional meadow; an archeological survey should be carried out; that the sports hall should be only used  by those visiting the centre; and that there should be a constant watching brief on the construction work to make sure that all conditions were met.

It was agreed that a video should be made of the condition of the road and walls before construction began so that those who caused any damage would pay for repairs. The traffic management plan would include when contractors’ lorries would be driven through Kettlewell and that none should use the road through Conistone. The revised conditions will be discussed by the committee, probably at the April meeting, before the centre can go ahead with re-developing the site.

Several members, as well as those representing the local community, emphasised the need for a detailed lighting plan to be submitted and approved before construction began. The danger of light pollution and glare from the glazing was one of the concerns listed by the parish council, the Wharfedale Against Scargill Planning action group, and the Yorkshire Dales Society.

Chris Beazley, the chairman of the parish council described the £6  million development as the biggest ever in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. “It’s a huge application,” he said. The parish council’s concerns included: the need to clarify the number of people who could be accommodated at the centre; how traffic movements would be managed; the possibility of there being more traffic if there was an increase in the number of conferences;  and the way the multi-purpose sports hall would alter the balance and intensity of the uses of the site.

Janet Walter, who represented Kettlewell village hall committee, pointed out that it was against the policies of the YDNPA to allow such a sports hall to have an adverse effect upon local facilities. Graham Walter said that the narrow road to the centre was used by dog walkers, farmers moving sheep,  and was a Sustrans cycle route. He, like others, was concerned that with more vehicles using the minor unclassified country lane, especially construction traffic, there would be damage to the road and to the walls. Traffic to the centre would also have to negotiate a narrow section of road in Kettlewell.

Tim Illingworth, who  represented a group of accommodation providers in Wharfedale, said the market was already saturated. The group was therefore strongly opposed to an increase of accommodation at Scargill House.

David Nelson, who is now resident in Kettlewell and a former Scargill House community member  said that even when the centre was full or held special events no traffic problems had been reported. He pointed out that the centre had been in existence long before many of the present businesses and had not had, nor would have, a detrimental effect upon other accommodation providers or cafes. “From my own experience the presence of a viable Scargill can do nothing but good for the life of the village,” he said.  He believed that now that Kettlewell School was remaining open Scargill would once again attract families to join its resident community. The new buildings had been designed to include modern environmental and energy needs.

Tony Hesselwood, vice chairman of the Scargill Movement Council, explained that the accommodation at the centre had to be renovated and brought up to modern standards. They also wanted to comply with modern regulations which required that groups of young people should be accommodated separate from that for adults and families. The re-development of the centre would be carried out in phases and would be financed from gifts rather than looking for pay-back from bookings. A lot of work would be carried out by volunteers. “We wish to be a vibrant part of the Upper Wharfedale community and support local providers where possible,” he said.

Some members complimented the planning officer on his report. In this he stated: “This is a particularly complex planning application… The use of the site would not change – since the 1950′s the site has had a permanent resident community, accommodation for over 100 guests, and has held courses and events. The proposals would not change the essential character of the use. The difference in the amount of accommodation proposed and the existing is not significant in terms of the traffic it would generate.” He added that the design had evolved since the original submission in 2009 and said: “It is considered that the proposal now represents a sensitive response that will assimilate into the landscape and enhance the appearance of the site.”

Two of the committee members, N Yorks County Coun Roger Harrison Topham and William Weston, voted against the application because of the design. “It is incoherent with no unifying vision,” said Coun Harrison Topham.  Mr Weston commented: “The site is frankly a mess at the moment and we might have hoped for a really excellent, imaginative scheme … but sadly I don’t think we have that.” He added that members of the committee and local residents had instead pointed to the need to retain and increase the trees of the site as a way of hiding the buildings.

Other committee members were concerned that if the site was not re-developed and so made financially viable it could become semi-derelict and so look even worse.  No limit was set on the number of conferences as it was felt this would probably be well controlled by market forces.

An Association of Rural Communities news report.

Dales’ councillors made impassioned pleas at the YDNP Authority meeting on February 3 that funding to Hudson House in Reeth should not be cut in 2013.This was but one of the recommendations made in the proposed budget following the major reduction in the Defra grant to the YDNPA for the next financial year.

David Butterworth, the YDNPA chief executive, reminded members that in the next four years the Authority could expect a £2 million reduction in its budget. “A third of our budget is disappearing,” he said. And so the members were presented with a budget in which it was proposed to cut 11 programmes, cut back heavily on its funding to the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust and to make savings in other areas. One of those proposed savings was to stop funding Hudson House once the YDNPA’s present lease contract ended in 2013. “I suspect that the recommendation would have been 2011 if we had not been contractually obliged,” said the Chief Executive, David Butterworth.

North Yorks County Coun John Blackie led the opposition to that proposal backed up by Grinton Parish Coun Harold Brown. Coun Blackie, who represents the Upper Dales,  argued that the funding to Hudson House could be reduced by £7,000 to £20,000 a year with the money coming from the YDNPA’s community understanding budget which runs to around £600,000. “In my view there is sufficient budget within Community Understanding to rearrange some of the staffing resources. Hudson House, and our continued presence there, does a lot to promote community engagement within Swaledale and Arkengarthdale at a time when the government is looking for greater community engagement.”

Both he and South Lakeland Dt Coun Kevin Lancaster reminded members that when the YDNPA sold the its building in Reeth it had been with the understanding that the Authority would continue to have a presence in that town so as to provide a service to Swaledale and Arkengarthdale.

Coun Lancaster said: “I think it is absolutely wrong headed for this authority to be contemplating pulling out of places like Reeth. I believe it is fundamentally part of what the present government is wanting to achieve with the Big Society  – Hudson House is, in many ways, a pre-exemplar of the Big Society.”

In a passionate statement Parish Coun Brown pointed out that Hudson House was the shop window for the YDNPA in Reeth and the two northern Dales. “If we pull out of Reeth the National Park will be criticised as it was in the past. We are feeling very disappointed about this news.” Dent Parish Coun Graham Dalton and Richmondshire Dt Coun Raymond Alderson also supported the proposal to continue funding Hudson House.

Others, however, felt that the proposed budget should go into the consultation period unchanged. They hoped that during the consultation period more information might become available which would help members make the right decisions when the budget was discussed again in March, before being ratified.

The Chief Executive, David Butteworth, agreed with that. He said: “When we were looking at the budget as a whole we looked at the essential provision within the National Park. We compared Reeth to the four other visitor centres we have got – Hawes, Aysgarth Falls, Grassington and Malham. There is no comparison – it gets half the number of visitors and it cannot compete in retail activity.” He added that unlike the other four it had not been listed recently among the top visitor centres in the York and Humber region.

He added that the YDNPA was just one of the partners in the community office at Hudson House with Richmondshire District Council having the main responsibility for it.

Coun Blackie responded: “I am disappointed with what Mr Butterworth had to say. This is a front line service. It’s at the heart of the local community.” He added that it did not get as many visitors as the other centres because not as many people visited Swaledale and Arkengarthdale.

His proposal to continue supporting Hudson House was defeated. So now the communities of Swaledale and Arkengarthdale must make their voices heard during the consultation period.

Later, when introducing the Save Hudson House Campaign Coun John Blackie stated:  “The likelihood that the withdrawal of the YDNPA will result in the complete collapse of Hudson House will go down incredibly badly with local people, and set back the reputation of the Authority to where it was in the 1990s. Then after a number of adverse planning decisions the YDNPA was regarded with outright hostility amidst the communities in the Two Dales, and its local people have very long memories.

“Its lead involvement in Hudson house has since led to the Authority being gradually accepted in these communities, but this perverse decision, if confirmed in March, will take it straight back to the bad old days.”

An Association of Rural Communities news report – this does not cover all the issues discussed at the YDNPA meeting at Bainbridge on January 25.

BUDGET CUTS . – Members of the YDNPA were warned by the Chief Executive, David Butterworth, that they should be willing to share the pain of the budget cuts as much as the officers.

He told them not to put themselves in the position where they were saying they would not make any changes in terms of the total membership or in what they cost the Authority when they were about to make 30 officers redundant. “It is going to be incredibly difficult for me and for you as members if you are not seen to be making that contribution”, he said. A report about redundancies will be presented at the March Authority meeting.

Mr Butterworth outlined several ways that the members could assist with budget deficit reduction. He said the area for the largest potential savings was to cut down on the number of meetings. Some members questioned trying, when possible, to hold planning committee meetings on the same day as those of the full Authority, or holding planning committee meetings less frequently. It was felt that this would make it more difficult for communities to engage with the planning process. Some also queried trying to reduce the amount of printed agenda and committee papers as the members needed to receive sufficient information to make  informed decisions and not all of them found it possible to read everything sent by email.

It had been suggested that the members of the YDNPA should take on board a much more representative role where they would be expected to attend and speak at various parish council meetings instead of officers. Mr Butterworth warned: “My concern is that we don’t put in place officer-led bureaucratic processes in order to manage the thing, which will cost us an absolute fortune. If that’s the way it is going I say to you drop it now because introducting something that is going to cost more money is not a good idea.”

Some of the Secretary of State appointees wondered if the members’ allowances could be reduced. But  N Yorks County Coun Richard Welch and Dt Coun Kevin Lancaster argued this would lead to most of the Authority’s members being either retired people of those of independent means. Coun Welch said: “We want to attract people from more varied backgrounds but they will need compensation for the time they take off work.”

In the end the only point the members agreed upon was that a member/officer working group should be set up to examine ways to cut costs. This will report to the Authority meeting in March.

The issue of possibly reducing the total membership and size of the Authority was not discussed as this would be dealt with by the government through its review of National Park Authority governance.

UPVC WINDOWS IN CONSERVATION AREAS. – The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority should consult fully with local residents before imposing any restrictions on the installation of uPVC  windows even in conservation areas, two members of the Authority warned.

At the meeting Robert White, the Authority’s senior conservation archeologist presented a report about the extension of the conservation area at Clapham. This included the possibility, in the future, of issuing an Article 4 direction concerning the use of uPVC replacement products. Both  Graham Dalton and N Yorks County Coun John Blackie emphasised the need to discuss this with the whole community.   Dent parish councillor Dalton pointed out that with colder winters and higher heating costs residents would be looking for ways of conserving heat.

Coun Blackie said: “If I felt this was leading to a compulsion towards Article 4 I would vote against it. Whilst a few shrill voices in the community might want Article 4 direction generally speaking if you go to the community you will find that when they actually understand the implications of it they are not happy. We have just heard about engaging with the communities and there was some shortfall in our performance in that area (so) you need to be very very careful indeed .” He was assured that this would be fully discussed with the community.

Mr White had explained that the Authority was working with Craven District council on the extensions of Clapham conservation area as not all of  these were within the Yorkshire Dales National Park. When asked if the whole community was in agreement with the extensions he explained that the manager of Ingleborough Hall was not convinced that that estate needed to be within a conservation area as it was already well maintained and conserved.

The Authority’s member champion for the conservation of cultural heritage, Cumbria County Coun Roger Bingham, described Clapham as a delightful village which was beautifully conserved. The extensions to the conservation area will include the rising ground to the north of the village with its very characteristic medieval lynchet system and wooded top and the grounds of Ingleborough Hall with Reginald Farrer’s rock garden. Craven District Council may include the semi-detached estate cottages along The Green and some other houses.

ENGAGING WITH COMMUNITIES. -  Members were encouraged by the  final report of the National Park Authority Performance Assessment (NPAPA) review because it had upheld most of the self assessment carried out by the YDNPA. Of the four national parks reviewed in the past year the YDNPA had shared having the best assessment with one other authority. There had, however, been two areas of weakness: the performance of the planning department and the need to engage more with communities.

Coun Kevin Lancaster said that to engage with communities meant listening to people rather than talking at them. Mr Butterworth added that through the community project at Dent the Authority was learning to do that. Coun Blackie warned that it would not be possible to increase the level of engagement with communities if the number of members of the YDNPA was reduced.

He and the chairman of the Authority, Craven Dt Coun Carl Lis congratulated the officers of the YDNPA for their professionalism which had led to such a good NPAPA review. Coun Lis said: “This is not an underperforming Authority.”  Other members hoped this would be noted by the government when it discussed the governance of national parks.

VOLUNTEERING STRATEGY . – Following Rae Lonsdale’s review of the YDNPA’s volunteering strategy both he and all the volunteers were congratulated by several members.  Malcolm Petyt commented: “I am always impressed by the range of achievements of the volunteers and inspired by their enthusiasm”.

Coun Lis added that there was a waiting list of those who wanted to volunteer but there was often a hold up due to bureaucracy and he hoped the government would do something about that.  Members agreed that care had to be taken during a time of financial cutbacks that the good relationships between the Authority’s staff and the volunteers were maintained.  They accepted the rewording of part of the strategy to read: “the involvement of volunteers should complement and supplement the work of paid staff should not be used to displace paid staff or undercut their pay and conditions of service.”

For Mr Lonsdale’s full report see Review of the Authority’s Volunteering Strategy.

ARC News service :

Two planning applications involving Coverdale led to unanimous votes at the YDNPA planning committee meeting on Tuesday, January 11.

Carlton. – The members heard how application to make alterations to the Foresters Arms in Carlton had divided the community. The owner, Claire Pritchard, requested full planning permission for the erection of an extension to allow the partial change of use to form three two-bedroomed dwellings for local occupancy and a public house. In an independent financial report commissioned by the YDNPA it was stated that the downsizing of the business was both a sensible and logical way of making it more viable. It would continue as a traditional country village pub with food available in the bar.

The meeting heard that the community wanted the Foresters Arms to be viable so that the village did not lose its only pub. Matthew Wilkes, chairman of Carlton Town Council, explained that although the council was not opposed to the application, it did want to see the cottage nearest to the pub tied to the Foresters Arms. This would protect the viability of the pub as there would always be sufficient accommodation in the future if someone with a family bought it. Otherwise the pub would be left with just the one-bedroomed flat above it which N Yorks County Coun John Blackie stated, would be like issuing a death notice as at some time in the future no-one would want to buy it as a pub due to the limited accommodation.

Mr Andrew Pritchard, agent for the pub, argued that it would be difficult to get a mortgage if that cottage was tied to the pub. The Authority’s legal advisor explained that the committee could decide the cottage should be tied to the pub but a mortgage provider might refuse to sign the agreement. Members also wanted to know if that cottage could, under the Authority’s present housing policy,  be an open market dwelling. Some members pointed out that if it was a farmhouse the cottages would not be restricted  under that policy to being affordable homes. The policy allows farms more flexibility so that they can remain viable – and it was argued that the long-term viability of the public house in Carlton was just as important.

N Yorks County Coun Roger Harrison-Topham proposed that the application should be approved on the basis that one cottage was tied to the Foresters Arms and that there should be no local occupancy restriction on that cottage. “Our overwhelming objective is to ensure the prosperity and the future of this pub,” he said. The members voted unanimously in favour of his proposal. As this was not fully in agreement with the officer’s recommendation that all the cottages should be for local occupancy with none tied to the pub this decision will have to be ratified at the February meeting.

The application for listed building consent for the internal changes to part of the pub to create three new dwellings was agreed. One of the consultees had pointed out that the creation of such homes for local occupancy might bring some new residents into a village where there were already too many empty second homes.

Coverham church. – Members voted unanimously against the officer’s recommendation to accept a proposal from Welcome to Yorkshire on the siting of a Turner Trail interpretation board on the grass verge outside Coverham church. Coun Harrison-Topham said the board would be incongruous within the landscape. He added that he wished the YDNPA would support them more in keeping down the number of signs that were beginning to litter the area.

The planning officer had explained that originally it had been agreed with Coverdale Church Committee that the interpretation board could be placed under the noticeboard in the lych gate. Welcome to Yorkshire had then decided it would be more visible on a wooden frame on the verge nearby. The officer recommended that this proposal should be accepted so long as the colour of the frame was not intrusive. Coverham with Agglethorpe parish meeting reported that the church committee strongly opposed this as the interpretation board would then be an alien intrusion into an ancient view. Coun Blackie reminded members of the NPAPA report which had emphasised the need to listen to the community more.

When proposing that the application should be refused William Weston said: “We should try to seek other solutions like using natural materials in more unconventional ways that intrigue and add to the experience of those visiting the area.” As members were unanimous in their refusing this application Mr Watson said it would not need to be discussed again at the February meeting.

Planning applications for two other interpretation boards for the Turner Trail were approved. An A1 lectern style board will be erected to the north west of Aysgarth Falls Visitor Centre and at Kettlewell a board will placed on the rear wall of the toilet block beside the car park.

Widdale. – There was yet another unanimous vote after members had discussed the application to convert the former chapel at Widdale so it could be used for residential lets or short stay holiday accommodation. This time the members were in full agreement with the planning officer. Chris Armitage said it was a much better proposal than the first one they had discussed. This was because the access onto the highway had been moved to a position where there was far greater visibility. This access had been agreed with the N Yorks Highways department at site meeting requested by the YDNPA.

Some of the members pointed out that the chapel was already falling into disrepair and looked forward to it being restored and brought back into use. This development is part of a farm diversification project and there will be a section 106 agreement tying it to the farm. The 106 agreement will not apply to the house adjoining the chapel.

Clapham. – The concerns of Clapham-cum-Newby parish council were discussed when considering the application for the change of use of the offices at Old Mason’s Yard in Clapham to two three-bedroomed dwellings and the construction of one single-bedroomed bungalow. The parish council said its prime concern was to maintain the viability of the village hall and the parking and increased traffic at the yard site would add to issues between residents and the hall users. The access is shared between the present residents, the village hall and the yard. The officer’s analysis was that the use of the yard for residential accommodation was likely to cause less traffic generation than if it was still in commercial use. Craven Dt Coun John Rogers stated that with cars being parked in the yard in the evening parking at the village hall might get tight. He was also concerned about the close proximity of the bungalow to existing houses. All three dwellings will be restricted to local occupancy and Coun Blackie pointed out that one-bedroomed homes were as necessary as those for families. The committee voted to approve the application.

Selside. - The  members agreed to a request from the YDNPA enforcement officer that an enforcement notice should be issued to ensure that the owners of Penyghent Cottage at Selside stopped using part of it as a holiday cottage by no later than December 31 2011.  This is a Grade II listed building which used to be a barn and the original planning consent was for one dwelling. Under the present housing policy any sub-division can only be for local affordable housing. Coun Rogers felt that the sub-division should end immediately and added: “This is a flagrant breach of planning conditions.”

ARC news service : The issues discussed at the YDNPA planning committee meeting on Tuesday, December 14, included: the application for determination of updated conditions by Hanson Quarry Products Europe Ltd for Horton Quarry at Horton in Ribblesdale; the Authority’s scheme for public speaking at planning committee meetings; and the retrospective application for a timber building at West Burton. For those interested in the situation at Horton Quarry it is worth going to the planning section of the YDNPA’s website to see the planning officer’s report.

West Burton – The recent independent Performance Assessment Report (NPAPA) was referred to when the retrospective planning permission for a timber building in a field at West Burton was discussed. The planning officer had recommended approving the application but the Authority’s member champion for planning, N Yorks County Coun John Blackie, successfully requested a deferral as the parish council had not been properly consulted.

He said that Burton cum Walden Parish Council felt let down by the planning system. This was because, as a result of a previous planning permission granted in 2009, the owner could only use the field to graze horses. At that time the Authority had been assured that “there was no intention whatsoever to erect any stabling, jumps and any other equipment on the land.” The parish council pointed out that the timber building was large enough to be used in the future as boarding kennels for dogs or for stabling ponies. The owner is at present using it as a kennel for domestic dogs and household storage.

Some members of the Authority’s planning committee accepted that the building might be in the most discrete location but also accepted that the parish council should have been given the opportunity to assess and comment on the application before the building was constructed. Mr Richard Johnson, the owner, did apologise to the planning committee for making a retrospective planning application.

Coun Blackie reminded the committee that in the Performance Assessment Report received by the Authority in November it had been told to engage more with the community. This Report did not accept the Authority’s self assessment that it had performed well regarding the national park’s wider sustainable development. This category includes planning and enforcement.  Instead the assessment panel decided that the Authority had only performed adequately – the poorest result it had in the seven categories.

The report stated: “Local residents and community representatives are critical of the planning services – development control, enforcement and the Local Development Framework – and customer satisfaction has been an issue in recent years. The Authority has recognised this and carried out a review of the structure of development control in 2009 specifically to tackle this issue. Early indications show an improvement in customer satisfaction.”

The Association of Rural Communities (ARC) was one of the local groups invited to make representations to the panel. The Association pointed out that according to its own End of Year progress reports the Authority had not been successful in minimising environmental harm by regularising 60 per cent of enforcement cases within 16 weeks. As compared to 2006-7 the number of cases regularised had dropped in 2009-10 by 65 per cent.The Association also gave illustrations of how the Authority had not communicated well with residents and parish councils when dealing with planning and enforcement issues.

After the planning committee Coun Blackie said: “Local communities do have issues with the planning department and that is the reason why ‘sustainable development’ only achieved a ‘two’ (performed adequately).” About deferring the West Burton decision he added: “Local communities do need to be able to hold our planning in respect – and this is an opportunity to rectify this.”

Mr Johnson’s planning application included the construction of a dry stone wall, change of use of a strip of land to domestic curtilage and the siting of a domestic oil tank.

Howgill - Members unanimously accepted the officer’s recommendation to give full planning permission for a timber footbridge to be constructed across Crosedale Beck, at Bramaskew Farm, Howgill near Sedbergh to make it safer and easier for walkers using the footpath.  This application was made by the YDNPA as the beck often became impassable at times of high water. The footpath will be diverted slightly.

Hetton – The Angel Inn had applied for full planning permission for the change of use of Sycamore Bank in Fleets Lane, Hetton, from a residential dwelling to four letting rooms ancillary to the inn.  Hetton parish council was concerned about residential dwellings being converted to business use. It felt the Authority should have a policy governing the loss of residential properties. It was also concerned about parking arrangements. Committee members, however,  agreed with the planning officer that sufficient parking would be available. The planning officer had recommended that there should be a Section 106 agreement to tie the ownership of Sycamore Bank to the Angel Inn in perpetuity. County Coun John Blackie proposed that the application should be approved without any S106 agreement and this was agreed by the committee.

Horton in Ribblesdale - Hanson Quarry Products Europe Ltd had applied for determination of updated conditions (YDNPA application no C/44/116G) for Horton Quarry.  The issues discussed at the planning meeting focused on the movement of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and special conservation areas. The planning officer, David Parish, explained that the company had agreed not to work the site to the south of the quarry  which falls within the Special Area of Conservation (SAC) boundary and would not claim compensation. It was, however, unable at present to make a similar agreement regarding an area to the west of the quarry which lies within a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Following this agreement with the YDNPA the company will soon change the operating times for HGVs on Saturday from 7.30am to 11am. It has offered to move the starting time for HGVs  on weekdays to 6.30am within two years and to 7am within five years or the commissioning of a rail link, whichever is sooner. The present start time of 6am means that lorries begin travelling  through Settle at around 5.30am. N Yorks County. North Yorkshire County Council’s highways department and Settle District Chamber of Trade had asked if the alternative route via Buck Haw Brow to and from the A65 could be considered. Coun Welch argued that this would lead to all the quarry traffic passing several schools. “It is putting the most vulnerable people in our society at risk – that is school children.”

Public speaking at planning committee meetings - Peter Watson, the head of planning, presented a review of the way the public is allowed to address  planning committee meetings to present arguments for and against specific planning applications. Coun Blackie successfully argued that the order of speakers should be reversed with the applicant coming after any objectors so that he or she could respond to arguments against the application. Some of the members wanted to increase the time that each speaker was allowed from three minutes to five, whereas others felt this would make the meetings even longer. The majority opted for continuing to allow just three minutes.

Enforcement issues are not currently covered by the Authority’s scheme of public speaking and this was questioned by Coun Blackie. He said it was against natural justice for those involved in an enforcement issue not to be able to address the committee. Others members felt that there were some who would use any ploy to extend the process and that by the time it came to enforcement those involved would have had many opportunities to present their case to the committee. If a retrospective planning application was made both the applicant and the objectors could speak at a committee meeting. The majority of the members did not support Coun Blackie’s proposal.

ARC News Service – a short report by the Association of Rural Communities concerning the appeal decision by Planning Inspector Graham Snowdon following the refusal by the YDNPA to grant planning permission for an extension and other work at  Cote Bottom in Bishopdale.

The inspector said that the main issue was the effect of the proposed extensions on the character and appearance of the existing farmhouse and wider landscape. Cote Bottom, he explained, was a typical linear, stone built Dales farmhouse. Some of it dates back to the 1650s but there have been many alterations over the years. “Nevertheless, it retains much character and interest in the local vernacular context,” he said.

He has granted the applicants, Mr and Mrs Arthur Black, permission to construct a kitchen with bedrooms above it. He did not accept that the argument put forward by the YDNPA that this extension would dominate the original building.

The Blacks also wanted to rebuild the barn attached to the farmhouse. The inspector said he had no objection to the form or height proposed and that this did not seem to be an issue with the YDNPA. He did uphold the view of the YDNPA that the proposed windows in the barn were not in accord with the Design Guide but did see the operational need of the roof lights in what would be a workshop so long as they were as small as practicable. He said: “The Design Guide suggests that with conversions of former agricultural buildings, such as barns, the contrast in character with the original residential building should be maintained.”

The inspector added he had taken into consideration the need to improve the accommodation to secure the long-term occupancy of the property – a factor which had been emphasised by Aysgarth and District Council. He added: “I have also had regard to the arguments advanced on behalf of the appellants regarding equitable and consistent decision-making in the area. However, each case has to be considered on its merits, and the other developments in the area, which have been cited – particularly that at Forelands – are insufficiently comparable in form or arrangement to carry much weight as a determining factor at the present appeal.”

See also YDNPA – Planning inconsistencies?

ARC News Service – a report by the Association of Rural Communities’ monitoring team which attended the November meeting of the YDNPA planning committee. For discussion about the conversion of the bothy at Coleshouse at Askrigg, the barn at Austwick, and the hard standing at Little Ings in Gayle also see YDNPA – planning decisions October 2010.

Austwick – Seven members voted to accept the planning officer’s recommendation that the application to convert a barn which was outside the development boundary  should be refused. Six voted to approve the application and there were two abstentions.  It had been explained to the members that there had to be exceptional circumstances to go against planning policy. The applicant, Mr Taylor who lives at Airton,  had argued that the conversion would be in accord with those policies which permitted local needs affordable housing and the provision of suitable accommodation for the disabled. The ground floor would have been made suitable for him and his wife (who has Alzheimers) and the first floor would have provided accommodation for his son and grand daughter. The conversion would also have saved the barn from becoming derelict. The parish council opposed the application mainly because the barn was outside the village development boundary. The parish council chairman, Mr Smith, told members that some affordable housing that was suitable for the disabled would soon be available in the village. Several members said that in time permission would be given for the barn to be converted.

Kevin Lancaster commented that the Authority’s policy regarding barn conversions was one of the most unpopular. He added: “I don’t think this is a good policy and I don’t think it will be in existence in five years.” Chris Armitage said that the YDNPA was trying to protect areas that were outside the development boundaries. The head of planning, Peter Watson, added that the Authority’s policy was in line with national policy regarding providing new housing in open countryside and barn conversions. He said that on the occasions the YDNPA had given permission for new houses to accommodate those who were disabled the applicants had family living locally.

Linton – Last month the majority of members voted against the officer’s recommendation to approve full planning permission to convert a barn to provide five extra en-suite bedrooms for The Fountaine Inn. It was debated again at the November meeting under the reference back system. Craven Coun John Roberts said it would not be possible to park cars beside the converted barn and so these would, after being unloaded, have to be parked around the village green. He told the meeting: “Linton is a conservation area – not a car parking area.”

The parish council had objected to the application because of the lack of parking facilities. It also argued that there was a lack of commercial need for more overnight accommodation at The Fountaine, but this was strongly contradicted by the owners of the inn. William Weston argued in favour of granting permission as it was necessary to protect this type of business in the Dales. He added that something should be done to provide a long term solution to the parking problem in Linton. Eight of the members, however, voted again to refuse this application on the basis that the development would result in an unacceptable level of on-street parking within the village, exacerbating parking problems already existing there and displacing existing residents’ parking resulting in inconvenience and nuisance to local residents and so harming residential amenity.

Crina Bottom near Ingleton -  The members were unanimous in accepting the officer’s recommendation that an application for a new domestic wind turbine at the farm at Crina Bottom. Some members said this was the first time that the YDNPA had given permission for a wind turbine to be erected within a triple SSI. There was an old, bladeless turbine at the farm and one of the conditions of the planning permission was that this should be removed. The new turbine will be sited a little lower so that it is less visible. The application was approved partly  because one wind turbine was a better option than power lines snaking across the countryside to provide the farm with mains electricity. The members were keen that the farm should have a more dependable source of power supply which was in line with the YDNPA‘s renewable energy policy.

Kettlewell -  The members were also unanimous in approving planning permission for the creation of a parking space in the garden at Renar Cottage in Kettlewell.

Langcliffe – Just one member voted against giving full planning permission for new outbuildings and the construction of a car port at The Farmhouse, Upper Winskill, Langcliffe. The parish council had argued that this would change the character of one of the oldest buildings in Langcliffe.  Roger Bingham said that the out buildings to be demolished were a good example of traditional farmyard buildings which had now mainly disappeared. The planning officer stated that due to the modest scale, appearance and materials of the proposed buildings they would not detract from the character and appearance of the traditional houses around them.

Askrigg – The majority of the members again voted to refuse planning permission for the conversion of the bothy at Coleshouse at Askrigg. The planning application included a bedroom extension. They therefore confirmed their decision last month not to accept the officer’s recommendation that it should be approved. The reasons given were: the impact of the proposal on the Askrigg Conservation Area including the loss of a section of wall, and the detrimental impact upon public views into and out of the village. The proposed design was also considered to be inappropriate. Mr Bingham used the phrase “alien intrusion” to explain why he saw the design, materials, fenestration, and the range of gables as not being in keeping with the Askrigg conservation area. He said he was disappointed that the it was not possible to take into consideration the historical association with the artist and writing team of Marie Hartley, Ella Pontefract and Joan Ingleby especially as they had done so much for the area. Several residents including artist Piers Browne spoke against the application at the October meeting.

Gayle – A majority of members voted to allow Christine Cloughton to create a hard standing for her car at her home in Little Ings. This was debated at the October meeting when the majority of members voted against the officer’s recommendation to refuse the application on the grounds of highway safety. At the November meeting planning committee member Chris Armitage warned that it would be reckless to approve this application when there was so little visibility when backing out onto the road.

Low Row – The majority of members accepted that the proposed scheme in the new application for the conversion of Low Barn was considerably better in design terms than that approved by the Authority in 1977. It was also accepted that there were several problems with converting the barn into a dwelling. The county council’s highways department had recommended refusal because of the limited visibility and because the parking bays were not wholly sited on land within the applicant’s control so their future presence could not be guaranteed. Now that the application has been approved the highways department will want to impose some conditions.

Alan Thorogood told members that Melbecks  parish council was very concerned about the road safety issues. The parking bays were used by school buses bringing children to Hazel Brow Farm and lorries unloading agricultural supplies. Although there had been no accidents involving people, there had been several incidents in the last three years. Sheep had been killed and last year a sheep dog was killed close to the barn.

The main problem for the planning committee was that as a Certificate of Lawfulness had been issued in 2006 the 1977 permission still stood, which included that the barn, once converted, could be sold on the open market. Coun John Blackie backed the request from the parish council that the property should be subject to a local occupancy restriction as this was a new planning application. Other members felt that, in view of the prior planning permission, this would be difficult to impose. As members were equally divided on this the chairman used his casting vote against adding a local occupancy restriction. A majority of members did vote for the owner to be asked to rescind the 1977 permission in favour of that granted at the November meeting.

ARC News Service:

The YDNPA planning committee has voted unanimously in favour of an enforcement notice to secure the demolition of the semi-detached buildings in the Outgang at Thornton Rust.

At the planning committee meeting at Bainbridge on Tuesday, November 9, Richard Graham, the principal planning officer, explained that the owner, Peter Bowers, had submitted a retrospective planning application to the June meeting which had included reducing the height of the buildings by 1.2m. The committee had then agreed to grant permission for the buildings so long as Mr Bowers signed agreements that the remedial works would be completed before February 27 2011 and the occupancy would be restricted to those who met the Authority’s “local need” criteria. Since then Mr Bower’s legal advisor has asked the Authority to accept the buildings as they are.

At Tuesday’s meeting County Coun John Blackie pointed out that there were over 20 breaches of planning conditions, 11 of them being major ones. These included the incorrect orientation of the buildings and the height and angle of the roof allowing for an additional storey. Like the rest of the committee County Coun John Blackie was very concerned that if nothing was done by early 2011 these unauthorised building works would be immune from enforcement action as it would be over four years since the dwellings were substantially completed.

“If you don’t recommend demolition then some applicants will feel they can play the delay game. I am extremely disappointed with what has happened,” he said. He added that they needed to provide an example to those who tried to drive a coach and horses around planning permissions.

Craven District Coun John Roberts told the meeting he had planned in June to vote for the demolition of the houses because of the number of breaches of planning conditions. “It is perhaps the worst I have seen. The authority of the Yorkshire Dales National Park planning committee is being questioned and we ought to respond in the clearest terms,” he said.He added that in June he was quite happy to accept the compromise of having the roofs lowered  because of the people living in the houses.

In June members of the planning committee had agreed that the existing buildings and site to be extremely harmful to the character and appearance of the immediate area and the village, and to the amenities of the neighbours. At the November meeting the members were again reminded about the need to consider the Human Rights Act in relationship to those now living in the houses. Mr Graham said: “Those rights are qualified however and must be balanced against the public interest and the Authority’s duty to carry out its planning function.”

Aysgarth and District Parish Council had complained to the YDNPA when the buildings were at foundation level and, in June 2007 after the houses had been built, informed the Authority, that the houses did not comply with approved plans. In May this year the parish councillors had asked Peter Watson, the head of planning, why the Authority had taken so long to take action. See YDNPA – Planning issues in Wensleydale.

In a report to the planning committee last month Mr Watson explained why enforcement action had not been taken since then and noted: “We should be less accommodating to ‘offenders’ and report slow moving enforcement cases to the planning committee at an early stage.”

ARC News Service – a report by the monitoring team of the Association of Rural Communities after the October meeting of the YDNPA planning committee.

Enforcement notice for Wood Nook Caravan Site near Threshfield –

The non-compliance with planning conditions imposed in October 1977  was so blatant at Wood Nook Caravan site near Threshfield that, during a site meeting, a member of the committee had seen a plot with the number 40 on it even though permission had been given for only 30 caravans at any one time. This had led to a large volume of traffic along two narrow lanes at Skirethorns. The members agreed that the YDNPA’s solicitor should serve an enforcement notice and if the number of caravans was not reduced to 30 at any one time within the next two months legal action would be taken. The agents for the owners of the site had pointed out that there was evidence dating back to the 1980s that there had been over 30 caravans on the site and they were therefore applying for a certificate of lawfulness.

Thornton Rust Hall, Thornton Rust –

County Coun John Blackie said that the two new dwellings in the Outgang at Thornton Rust as part of the Thornton Rust Hall estate had become a “cause celebre” locally. He thanked Aysgarth and District Parish Council for pursuing the issue. There was a lengthy report from Peter Watson, head of planning, about how the YDNPA’s enforcement team had handled this case. The parish council had complained in July 2007 that the semi-detached houses had not been built in accordance with approved plans – and it was found that this complaint was justified. Mr Watson explained that reduced staff levels from May 2007 to August 2008 had led to a backlog. He added: “While staff turnover is unavoidable, the transition from one case officer to another can be smoother when each officer makes a point of recording clear case notes…. The practice had slipped as a result of workload pressures when the enforcement team was under staff. The re-structuring of the planning department in July 2009 has seen a major improvement in the way we operate.”  For the full report see: http://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/oct_thornton_rust_hall.pdf. The YDNPA planning committee agreed earlier this year that the height of the two houses should be reduced. One member commented: “I was for total demolition.” This was because so many conditions had been broken when the houses were built. Now the members wanted to make sure that  by February 2011 the conditions of the retrospective planning permission granted this year were being complied with.

Coleshouse, Askrigg –

The artist, Piers Browne, was one of those who objected to a new dwelling being built in the garden of Coles House in Askrigg, owned until 2006 by the author Marie Hartley. He  with Dr Christine Hallas and the chairman of the local parish council, Allen Kirkbride, said that the conversion of the bovey and especially the construction of an extension would destroy the iconic and quintessential Wensleydale view from Moor Lane. Dr Hallas told the planning committee she accepted that the applicant, Mrs Bernie Kershaw, intended to try and maintain that view but added:  “The problem is – there should be no house on this site”. Mrs Kershaw said she had sought to retain and safeguard the building so that it could be viewed by many in years to come. The proposed dwelling was described as unusual by the planning officer in that there would be a sedum roofed link between the converted bothy and the two-storey bedroom extension. Part of the bedroom extension would be incorporated into the hillside.

Local residents were also concerned about the proposal to remove part of the dry stone wall so as to provide access for two cars. The planning officer had recommended approving Mrs Kershaw’s application but the majority of members voted for refusal. Under the referral back system this application will be discussed again at the November meeting.

Car park for YHA at Hawes –

Some members commented that the planning officer had been put in a very difficult position regarding the application to provide access for the youth hostel at Turfey Hill in Hawes. The majority felt she had little choice but to recommend that planning permission should be granted even though the applicant was not connected with the YHA and the parish council had strongly objected.  The latter told the planning committee: “The Parish Council finds it bizarre and overtly suspicious that the YHA has not applied for the planning approval the application seeks as it appears the use for which the new access will be put is for the sole benefit of its Youth Hostel. Approval for this application will facilitate planning creep towards a housing application on a site already opposed by the Parish Concil and the YDNPA housing working group.” County Coun John Blackie, who is chairman of Hawes and High Abbotside parish council, told the planning committee that he had taken no part in the discussion or decision at the parish council.

At the planning committee he proposed that the planning application should be refused but the majority of members voted against doing that. Instead it was agreed that there should be a Section 106 agreement regarding the new car park so that it could only be used by visitors and tradesmen to the YHA. The applicant, Mr Watson, told the planning committee that this was a collaborative application by him and the YHA to improve the parking for the youth hostel. His land will be used for the new access and part of the new car park.

Hard standing for a car in garden along Little Ings, Gayle –

Christine Cloughton told the planning committee that many residents along Little Ings had created hard standings for their cars in their gardens along with openings onto the highway. If she was able to park her car in her garden buses would be able to stop alongside the kerb and so use the low floor facility for those with pushchairs or using wheelchairs. Currently buses stop in the middle of the road. The planning officer recommended refusal mainly because the county council’s highways department had found there wasn’t sufficient visibility onto the highway. County Coun John Blackie proposed that the committee should approve her application and this was upheld by eight votes to five with one abstention. As this was against the planning officer’s recommendation this will need to be ratified at next month’s meeting. Members did ask for a more detailed examination of the visibility issue.

Low Barn, Low Row, Swaledale –

It was decided to hold a site meeting at Low Barn. The members agreed that this was a complex situation especially as in 1977 full planning permission had been given for the barn to be converted into an open market  four-bedroom house. That permission is still valid as a certificate of lawfulness was granted in 2006. The planning officer said she had worked with the applicant to prepare a more sympathetic and appropriate design for the present application. She told the committee that the owner could always revert to that approved in 1977.

Arncliffe school -

Members were very concerned to hear that Arncliffe CP School might be closed. At present it has only nine students. It was pointed out that the school would fail an Ofsted examination if it could not provide an all-weather outdoor play area. Members therefore agreed with the planning officer that permission should be given for the erection of a wooden canopy covering a play area. This will replace a pergola and fence to the north side of the school.

Gamekeeper’s accommodation, Hawkswick -

The reasons given by the parish meeting for opposing  the conversion of a barn just outside of Hawkswick into accommodation for a gamekeeper included: that the tight curtilage would be difficult to maintain and would be insufficient for the needs of the gamekeeper; and that the lane up to the barn was parish land.

The YDNPA had paid for an independent report by Mouchel. This concluded there was a clearly established need for a full time gamekeeper to be living on the edge of the grouse moor. The agent for the applicant explained that the grouse moor had been neglected for a period of time and the present owner wanted to return it to its  former glory. The majority of members voted to accept the planning officer’s recommendation that planning permission should be granted subject to a Section 106 agreement to tie the barn to the moorland within the applicant’s ownership, control future works and maintenance of the access and secure a tree planting scheme.

Llama farm, Kirkby Malham –
The temporary consent for an extension of two years for agricultural worker to live in a caravan at Tullochvenus Farm was agreed. The owners are trying to develop a business based on the sale of wool from llamas raised there.

Town Head, Austwick –

The committee deferred making a decision about the conversion of a barn outside of the housing development boundary at Austwick as they wanted more information including its proximity to other buildings in the village.  The applicant, Mr Taylor, wishes to restore the barn and to convert the ground floor into accommodation suitable for his wife as she becomes more physically limited due to suffering from Alzheimers disease. The first floor would become a self contained dwelling for his son and grand daughter.

A news update from the Association of Rural Communities. At the YDNPA meeting on Tuesday, September 14 the following decisions were made regarding applications involving the following villages,: Hawes, Reeth, Kettlewell, Ribblehead/Horton in Ribblesdale, Linton, Hebden and a new bridleway bridge near Conistone.

GTEC Training did get permission for a large training centre at Bruntacres Trading Estate in Hawes even though there was a lot of opposition from local residents and Hawes and High Abbotside parish council. The chairman of the planning committee, Graham Dalton summed up the views of the majority of members when he stated: “I think there is a good chance this will become a centre of excellence. It may become of national significance.”The company applied for full planning permission to erect a two-storey building to house a renewable technology centre, business start up units, a training centre with residential facilities and office space. The building would provide a base to research multi-technology integration and control systems as it would be purpose built to include solar and ground source heating,  a rain harvesting system, a wood pellet boiler and ridgeblades (wind turbines) It had informed the Authority that the provision of supervised accommodation on the site for six to eight-day courses  was an important and integral part of its training programme without which the project could not go ahead. Stephen Plant of National Electrotechnical Training (NET) stated: “This facility will not just provide a ‘state of the art’ training centre in Electrotechnical Engineering but will also champion renewable technologies which are essential to the UK for meeting our climate change targets and providing a reliable and sustainable energy supply.”

N Yorks County Coun John Blackie, who is chairman of Hawes and High Abbotside Parish Council, said that although he would like to support GTEC, he could not do so because of the provision of accommodation on the site. Local residents had objected because they had been promised in the past that there would be no living accommodation on the trading estate. They pointed out that if accommodation was not provided there would be no need to construct a building that was so much higher than any of the other units at Bruntacres. A resident had carried out a survey to show that there was sufficient accommodation in the town plus facilities for laundering clothes and all the meals the trainees would require. Over 20 residents signed this survey which stated that the height and mass of the new building “would have a very overbearing appearance.”

Swale View Caravan Park near Reeth was given permission to change the use of a section of the site beside the river from stationing touring caravans to the siting of up to seven “static caravans” instead. These “static caravans” will, in fact, be lodges. The owners propose to locate all touring caravans (up to 30) near to the A6108. The full planning permission included that more trees and shrubs should be planted to reduce the environmental impact of this large caravan park.

The proposed transformation of the old public toilets at Kettlewell by Yorkshire Dales Ice Cream into a kiosk selling ice creams and light refreshments was opposed by many local residents because they feared it could lead to the closure of the village shop. On the basis that the planning authority could not become involved in issues of commercial competition the majority of the members agreed with the planning officer that full planning permission should be given.

Even though the planning officer had recommended refusal members decided that consent should be given for the Stationmaster’s House at Ribblehead to become a residence once more. The Settle and Carlisle Trust wants to return the house externally to its original Midland Railway style and then use it as accommodation for the caretaker of the station building. There will be a S106 agreement so if the Trust should find it necessary to sell the house it would submit a scheme to the Authority detailing how the money would be spent. The Trust had offered a S106 agreement that would restrict the use of net proceeds from such a sale on the open market to the work and objectives of the Trust.

N Yorks County Coun Richard Welch very strongly recommended that any decision about the retrospective change of use of three bedrooms at  The Willows at Horton in Ribblesdale from residential to bed and breakfast should be deferred until it was possible to submit a planning application for a new driveway. At present The Willows shares a driveway with neighbours. The neighbours felt that the increase in the number of cars passing their front windows was detracting from their privacy. Horton in Ribblesdale parish council felt that the application should be approved only if separate access to The Willows was created and that planning officers adequately addressed the concerns of neighbours. The majority of the members, however, voted to approve the application. The owners of The Willows have two bedrooms there for their own use.

The application by Manchester Anglers Association for a 30m long and 2m wide parking area in Newhouse Lane, Horton in Ribblesdale, was refused on the basis that such an overly urbanised feature was unjustified as it would alter the simple rural character of that road.

A decision was deferred regarding the change of use of a barn to create hotel bedrooms for the Fountaine Inn at Linton.  One of the main reasons that local people had objected to this was the lack of parking facilities. Craven Dt Coun John Roberts pointed out that Linton is an important conservation area and added: “Parking in this area is a major consideration. If a conservation village is full of cars it takes away the beauty of the area.” The owners of the inn had reported that an off-road parking area was being investigated and for this reason it was agreed to defer the decision. At the August meeting the majority of members had voted against the planning officer’s recommendation that the application should be approved subject to a S106 agreement which would tie the barn to The Fountaine Inn and restrict the use of the accommodation to ancillary bedrooms with en-suites only. They then needed to confirm that decision at the September meeting.

Although the committee gave approval for the present buildings at The Old Lodge in Mill Lane, Hebden, to be demolished the majority did not approve of a three-bedroom residence with two stables being built there. Members were told that the Old Lodge had been built as a temporary holiday camp about 100 years ago. A planning officer noted that the existing U shaped timber building, which had no architectural merit,  was in a poor or derelict state and beyond saving. The officer was against replacing this single storey building with a two storey house. Ann Brooks said that the application for a residence should be refused because this was one of the few employment sites within the national park. “I am very concerned that this has not been marketed as an employment site,” she said. She added that the committee would consider an application for residential use if it could be proved there was no interest in it as an employment site.

The YDNPA Ranger service had asked permission to construct a bridleway bridge to provide a new river crossing at Mossdale, Conistone. Although this was approved some members requested that it would be constructed in such a way that it fitted in with the surrounding landscape.

AUGUST 2010

The YDNPA planning committee on August 10 took until almost 5pm to discuss 11 items and the members disagreed with the officers’ recommendations five times. Another application was deferred for further information and two (both involving The Old Lodge in Mill Lane, Hebden) were deferred so that a site meeting could be held.

Those applications where the members disagreed with the officers will be discussed again at the meeting on September 7. This includes the application by Swale View Caravan Park on Reeth Road, Richmond, for full planning permission to place seven static “caravans” on a site near the river which at present is used for touring caravans. The members were not impressed when they saw a photo of the lodges that may be put on that site. The two members from Swaledale complemented the present owner of Swale View Caravan park on the improvements that had been made since he took over. They felt that permission should be granted but other  members were concerned that steps were not being taken to alleviate the impact upon the landscape of such a large site and the provision for touring caravans, motorhomes and tents. One member asked if the YDNPA had taken any steps to check if the government could re-define the definition of static caravans that has made it possible for them to be replaced with lodges.

Defining what is a caravan – This question was also raised by the Association of Rural Communities (ARC). In a statement to the committee prior to the discussion about the Westholme site at Aysgarth, ARC’s president, Tom Knowles, asked: “Has the YDNPA taken any action to query the “notoriously wide” definition of caravans which has made it possible for the owners of the Westholme site to replace static caravans with much larger luxury chalets?”

The members did approve an application from Westholme Estate to make it possible for that site to be open for holiday purposes only for 12 months each year. The head of planning, Peter Watson, pointed out that as the appeal inspector had approved all-year opening for Hawkswick Cote Caravan site in accordance with the government’s Good Practice Guide on Planning for Tourism 2006  it would be difficult to refuse a similar application.

Mr Knowles said: “It is sad that the government has made it possible for site operators to extend the open season for static caravan sites. This could be the thin edge of the wedge to making it possible that luxury chalets like those at Westholme will become the main residences of those who have spent over £200,000 to buy one.

Planning permission was granted for the Pinfold Leisure Park at Garsdale to extend its existing holiday season. It will now be closed from January 5 to February 5 each year.

The other applications which will be discussed again in September are: The change of use of Ribblehead Stationmasters house back into a residential dwelling; the change of use of a barn to create hotel bedrooms ancillary to The Fountains Inn, Linton; the proposed conversion of Widdale chapel and signage for the Old Dairy Farm in Widdale.

Hawes Trading Estate – A planning officer had recommended (with conditions) approving the application from GTEC Training Ltd to build a two storey renewable technology centre with training and residential facilities at the Bruntacres Trading Estate at Hawes. There was concern about the residential element (to house trainees attending courses at the centre) and also the height of the building. The members agreed to defer the decision until September and to ask for more details of the business plan.

Just how the Yorkshire Dales National Park (YDNPA) will survive in this period of budget cuts was discussed in detail at the Authority’s meeting on Tuesday, July 27. There were warnings that the Authority may face radical surgery and that the proposed extension of the YDNPA should be seriously questioned.

It was agreed to set up a task force  to consider how the YDNPA should respond to the government’s call to reduce the national deficit. It’s first step has been to drain its Opportunities Fund which would have supported environmental projects such as renewable energy schemes. This will meet the government’s demand for a five per cent cut this year in what is already a very limited budget. But the Authority’s Chief Executive, David Butterworth, has warned that the Authority could face a £2m budget cut – a worst case scenario which he described as “catastrophic”.

At the meeting the members asked him  to try and obtain  further clarification about the government’s plans. Several members agreed with Mr Butterworth that the government had not provided sufficient or clear information about the cuts required. “There are mixed messages. There is no overall plan but it is being developed as (they) go along. We need good  information so as not to be filled with a doom scenario,” said Mr Butterworth.

He said he had already met with Unison to discuss how the cuts may impact upon the staff and added: “I don’t think local communities have any idea what they are going to be facing.” He called for the members to decide what were the fundamental issues at the heart of the National Park.

Secretary of State appointee Chris Armitage said:  “All of the projects we do are essential – that is the problem. But we are going to have to think the unthinkable… and may be operating with a skeleton staff.

N Yorks County Coun Stuart Parsons commented: “We don’t know what is going to happen… but the world has changed fundamentally. Do we want National Parks? I believe we do and this is the battle we have to fight.”

Mr Butterworth said that although the government did recognise the value and popularity of National Parks it  seemed to be uncomfortable with their hybrid nature and there was an “interesting lack of understanding” about how the authority was already intertwined with other local authorities.”

Local authorities are already discussing with the YDNPA how to share the responsibility for various services so as to cut costs. The members were, however, very concerned about how to maintain the tourist information and Ranger services. “We don’t want a derelict park,” said N Yorks County Coun John Blackie and reminded members how quickly the footpaths had become overgrown during the foot and mouth epidemic when the Rangers could not maintain them.

Some suggested that the YDNPA should consider more income generation A request by Coun  Blackie to discuss the Defra “Draft Structural Reform Plan” was accepted even though it was not on the agenda. Coun Blackie pointed out that the review was to run from July until December, and yet the YDNPA had not heard about it until around July 20. It includes a review of the governance arrangements of the National Parks, with the suggestion that each Authority should only have 12 members, of which seven would be directly elected. “I think a 12 member body determining planning applications would be totally inappropriate,” said South Lakeland Dt Coun Kevin Lancaster.

Coun Blackie said: “We have got to get across that steam rollering would lead to far poorer services in villages” and that they needed more time to find the best way forward. “There is a danger we will throw the baby out with the bath water.”

Mr Butterworth said that if decisions were made on the basis of funding rather than size and the membership of each authority was reduced to 12 there would be  considerable disparities in the democratic representation within the various National Parks given the great differences in populations.

That situation would be further aggravated if the proposal to extend the boundaries of the YDNPA went ahead. “From a personal point of view… I would be shocked and stunned if the Secretary of State accepted the recommendation (to extend) bearing in mind the financial situation that we are in at the moment,” said Mr Butterworth.

It was accepted that many aspects of the National Park’s work would need to be questioned with Mr Lancaster even arguing that it should not be a planning authority.  Craven Dt Coun Carl Lis, who was elected as chairman, pointed out that the original remit of a National Park would not have included the provision of affordable housing. Craven Dt Coun John Roberts had said earlier: “If we do not get some affordable housing into these villages very soon their sustainability is going to deteriorate.”

The members did vote unanimously against attending the Association of National Park Authorities  agm in 2011. As the level of sponsorship for that conference had fallen the cost per person would be £800. They also accepted that as part of the cost cutting exercise the Authority must later in the year look very critically at the number of other organisations with which it was in partnership. Mr Butterworth said the YDNPA should only be in partnership with those which were delivering something or may do so.

He added that the YDNPA had already done a considerable amount in the past few years to cut costs. Coun Lis commented: “These are going to be extremely difficult times and we need to face them with vigour and enthusiasm. We have to provide the leadership and act as one to ensure the best interests of the Authority and local communities, to ensure they are protected wherever possible against the worst ravages of the government’s cuts ”
Ends>

Disintegrating artificial roof slates and a micro hydro electric power generating scheme at Halton Gill in Littondale were among the issues discussed at the meeting of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority’s (YDNPA) planning committee on Tuesday, July 13.

The Association of Rural Communities’  (ARC) monitoring team at that meeting were Tom Knowles, Jack Heseltine and Pip Land. Stephen Butcher, who recently retired as a Craven district councillor and member of the YDNPA, has now rejoined ARC and plans to help monitor the meetings of the YDNPA. This will be particularly welcome as sadly ARC has just lost a founder member and former chairman, Jim Cunnington, who died on Sunday, July 11.

Stephen was particularly pleased to hear that the committee had voted unanimously to approve the retrospective planning application for change of use of field to form domestic curtilage at Rose Cottage in Rylstone even though a planning officer had recommended refusal. “At last they are using some common sense,” he commented.

Just a few months ago the planning committee had voted against the officer’s recommendation and approved the extension to the garden in the neighbouring semi-detached house. The committee did not, therefore, feel it could vote against the application for that at Rose Cottage.The  YDNPA’s chief planning officer, Peter Watson, said this decision, although contrary to the recommendation of the planning officer, would not be referred to the August meeting for confirmation. “Permission is granted,” he said.

Hydro electric power

There were no problems with approving the planning permission for a  micro hydro electric power generating scheme at Manor Farm, Halton Gill. The Langcliffe Estate plans to construct a small weir on Halton Gill Beck to create a small header tank. Water will pass through a pressurised pipe (penstock) to the power house near Manor Farm, and then on to the River Skirfare. The scheme was described at the planning meeting as a flagship for hydro electric power in the Dales. It was hoped that details of the project will be openly shared with other farmers as  it could provide another cash crop. It will receive a grant from the YDNPA’s Sustainable Development Fund as the Authority seeks to support hydro electric power as the most suitable alternative energy technology for the Yorkshire Dales.

Some of the members were just sorry that it was a private scheme and not a community one like those at Bainbridge and Kettlewell – especially as it may produce sufficient electricity for 20-25 houses which is about the size of Halton Gill. The parish meeting at Halton Gill had questioned the impact of the scheme upon the village’s private water supply. Assurances have been given that the conditions of the abstraction licence, when it was granted by the Environment Agency, would safeguard that water supply.

Disintegrating artificial roof slates

The committee again voted against the recommendation of a planning officer after hearing the sorry tale of the disintegrating artificial roof slates at Heselden Lodge at Halton Gill. The members were shocked to see photographs of how the artificial slates made by the now defunct company, Intergray, had disintegrated within six years. This was caused by water getting into the slates, freezing and then fracturing them. The Robinsons want to re-tile the roof with Welsh blue slates but the planning officer stated that these would harmful to the character and appearance of a building which was in a highly prominent location.

Several members of the committee noted that the slate displayed at the meeting by the Robinson’s agent, Roger Beck, was more grey in colour than blue. Mr Beck pointed out that such slates had been used on a Grade II listed farmhouse near the Robinson’s home. Although there was concern about setting a “dangerous precedent” for the use of such slates in the national park five members voted for the application to be approved, with one against and eight abstentions. This decision will need to be confirmed at the meeting on August 10 under the referral back rules. As Mr Beck said – the Robinsons would like to use slates that will last 100-200 years rather than artificial ones which are only guaranteed for 15 years!

Wood Nook Caravan Park, Thresfield

An amendment to a planning application Wood Nook Caravan Park at Skirethorns, Threshfield was accepted. This will enable the owners to bring  five twin-unit caravans to the site. The amended application included an acceptable scheme of landscaping with hedging along the north-west boundary. Craven district councillor John Roberts stated: “This is a family site with the owners living there and sending their children to local schools. The other two sites (in my area) are commercial and all the profits go out of the area.”

This is a fuller report of the annual meeting of Aysgarth and District parish council on May 19, 2010,  which was attended by Peter Watson, chief of planning for the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA), County Coun John Blackie and Dt Coun Yvonne Peacock (chairman of Richmondshire District Council).

Coun Alison Sayer:   “I just want to say that we are trying to work with you (the YDNPA). We need to see plans and we need to see what is going on. Lot’s of the older generation looked after this area before it became a National Park – we want our beautiful area to stay as it is”.

Coun Peter Windle: “We are just concerned that nobody is taking any notice of us. We had a genuine complaint about various aspects of planning where the plans aren’t complied with. We want you to explain in general terms what should happen  and what we can expect from the planning department in the future so we can avoid a repetition of these problems we have been having.”

As an illustration he referred to the two cottages that have been built in the Outgang at Thornton Rust. A retrospective planning application for those will be discussed at the Authority’s planning committee meeting on Tuesday, June 8.  As new amended plans were expected the parish council clerk asked if they would have time to comment on these should they be delivered to the Authority just before the meeting. Mr Watson said the parish council would see them as soon as the National Park did. He and County Coun John Blackie said that the planning committee was determined to make a decision on June 8 and that would be made on the latest plans received. “There will be no further extensions,” said Coun Blackie.

Coun Brian McGregor: “If you don’t take a stand on this one you are just wasting your time – your time and our time”.

Coun Peter Windle:  “We actually complained to the authority about it when it was at foundation level – and nothing was done. We did have a meeting with whoever from the planning department (who said) that it was in the wrong place. It is the process that we are complaining about – or wish to rectify”.

Coun McGregor: “Once the authority had been informed that the foundations were in the wrong place, shouldn’t (it) be sorted immediately? ”

Mr Watson: “Ordinarily yes – we do get enforcement officers to get out and look at sites  but there has been disruption recently because of staff turnover but ordinarily someone should get out there fairly early. There are targets for dealing with these things… although in this case it has taken quite a while. The way it should work is that (a parish council or an individual) makes a complaint. The case is logged and an enforcement officer goes and inspects it. If they find that the works are proceeding in a way that isn’t in accord with the plans … then a series of steps start being pursued. That leads ultimately to a decision being taken that it needs enforcement action or that although it may not be in accordance with planning its not so serious as to justify enforcement action. One thing that isn’t always understood is that enforcement is not an automatic reaction to an unauthorised development. It is a discretionary process – you first have to assess whether you would have approved it any way. But those cases where there is real harm, or something is completely unauthorised and needs regularising it does follow from there that the person is asked to submit a retrospective application or asked to carry out various remedial works. If they don’t do that and it is serious enough it ends up with an enforcement notice being served.”

Coun John Blackie described the swift action taken recently when an illegal access route was made across Thornton Rust village green to a construction site. “There was a very swift reaction to your concerns and complaint and the officer came out the same day and eventually we got a very satisfactory solution. I think that is how the Authority would like the new enforcement regime to work. The old one didn’t do the job. Good enforcement does rely on people acting quickly before the damage is done, before there are entrenched positions on either side.” He added that there were those, however, who knew all the tricks of the trade and were determined to drive coach and horses in and around planning regulations.

Coun Windle: “I have a view (that) once an application has been approved, and all the plans have been submitted, then someone in the planning department would see it through every stage (from foundations) until it was finished. And once it was finished visit it again to ensure that everything that is required has been completed. There are numerous cases in the Dales where that never happens.”

Coun McGregor mentioned a situation where someone had been told the put in screening but hadn’t done so. After several years the Authority had decided it was not expedient to pursue enforcement.

Mr Watson:  “We haven’t got the resources to go and visit every site at a series of stages. We are partly reliant on people complaining about things – and partly on our officers making site visits. We probably rely partly on building control regulators  who do check on the building as it goes up and do alert us if things are going badly wrong.” He and Coun Blackie said that the new enforcement system included a computerised database so that it would be easier to check if conditions on specific planning permissions had been met within a certain time scale.

The parish councillors asked about seeing amended plans.

Mr Watson: “If you said you were completely happy with (a planning application)  but we subsequently negotiated an improvement we probably wouldn’t re-consult you because you hadn’t expressed a concern about some aspect of it. We re-consult on things that interested you or caused you to comment the first time round. I am talking about a situation where we start with a particular thing and we try and negotiate to make it better, to make it smaller or to improve the design or something.”

Coun Blackie suggested that if there are particularly good features in a planning application a parish council should list them in its response. Then if a planning officer suggested altering the fenestration the parish council would be consulted. He added that if a planning officer was in doubt he or she should re-consult. Mr Watson agreed that rather than stating “no objection” to a planning application it would be better to provide more detail so that a planning officer would check with the parish council again if any changes were suggested.

Coun Robert Walker: “There are some plans which have been changed and got through planning that we knew nothing about.”

As an illustration Coun McGregor and Coun Jane Huntington described the situation with South View in Thoralby. Coun Huntington distributed photographs of South View. For that the parish council had recommended that random stone should be used; that there should be a parking area behind the two houses on the site; that the two dwellings should have a shared driveway and that the hedge should be retained.

Mr Watson: “I think in that case there was an amended plan which was approved to replace the hedge with a wall.”

Coun McGregor: “Why weren’t we told that? We wanted to keep the hedge. ”

Coun Windle: “Generally speaking if we receive some plans we go and speak to the neighbours to see if they have any objection to them. You go through the plans with the neighbours and if they are happy with them then you get a response with no objections or that we support the application. We get it in the neck then when it doesn’t happen.”

Coun McGregor: “We told them that (the hedge) was going to be retained. The original plans that we agreed to was for a shared drive. Now we have solicitors fighting about rights of way between the two houses. It could have been sorted out right at the start.”

Coun Huntington – “Our village street is very narrow and if people can’t park at the back of the houses then they park on the road, and then a cattle wagon for example – we have a farm just up the road – cant get through. And we were told by the planning officer when we had a site meeting that he didn’t want parking at the back because one of the features of Thoralby was that the fields came right down to the back doors. This wanting to keep that landscape feature has actually created a real practical every day dilemma. The verge (is being ruined)  which makes the village scape very unattractive.”

Coun Walker: “If farm vehicles cant get through when cars are parked outside the houses, then fire engines cant get through. Mr Watson:  I don’t know much about the detail of that development.”

Coun McGregor argued that the parish council should be consulted when sample panels of bricks are prepared. “We should accept what they have in Thoralby not what the planning officer wants.” He agreed that the stone had come from a local quarry but pointed out that it was not like the stone generally used in the National Park. It was, he said, sandstone that had been cut into regular bricks.

Coun Blackie said that in Hawes the parish council had been consulted when sample panels of bricks had been prepared for the affordable housing site there. The councillors understood that originally it was planned to build South View with random stone.

Coun McGregor said: “It is built next door to one of the oldest houses in Thoralby and we were going to have it in keeping to match that. They built a nice stone wall where the hedge was – and built that out of really good random stone. They put yards and yards of wall all the way round – there is enough stone wall around that house to have built the house in random stone.” He added that they had wanted surface water from the site to run into a drain, not through drainage holes in the wall. Mr Watson said that the drainage holes were above ground level.

Coun Huntington said they would take photographs when water poured through those holes and caused flooding along the street. The parish council had been informed that the enforcement officer who had visited the site had reported that the treatment of foul water and surface water at South View complied with the approved plans; and that the agreed landscaping plans did not have a condition to replace the hedge.

There was discussion about the apparent inconsistency in planning decisions for Forelands and Cote Bottom in Bishopdale. The parish councillors also asked about the induction period for new planning officers so that they were familiar with the situation in the National Park;  the changing policies regarding renewable energy sources such as solar panels and wind turbines; and how and when decisions were delegated to officers.

Under Wensleydale Councils there is a parish council report for this meeting.

The different ways that two planning applications for farmhouses in Bishopdale have been dealt with by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority have been brought to the attention of the Association of Rural Communities (ARC). Both date from the 17th century and overlook the B6160: Forelands from the south side and Cote Bottom from the north.

Forelands: Permission was granted by a planning officer under delegated powers for a new building  on the north side of the farmhouse with four windows on the first floor and larger ones below them overlooking several footpaths and the road in Bishopdale. This means that the new build will dominate the traditional farmhouse when viewed from Bishopdale. There will be a glazed link between the two buildings which surely will be visible at close range from a footpath to the south west.

Cote Bottom: The planning officer recommended refusal of the planning application for a rebuilt cowhouse and a rear extension on the basis that it would have a harmful effect on the appearance of a venerable building. He would have preferred that the extension looked more like a barn (site meeting, January 22, 2010). He also stated that the house occupied a prominent position and the extension could be viewed at close range from a footpath. The extensions would be on the north side and would not affect the view of the farmhouse from the B6160 and footpaths to the south in Bishopdale.

The parish councillors for Thoralby supported the application as they considered the rebuilding of the barn and the addition of a two storey extension to be appropriate in scale to the site and the existing house. The recommendation of the officer was, however, accepted by just one vote at the March 2010 planning committee meeting.

One local resident asked how the same planning officer could make such widely different decisions regarding these two farmhouses. Both of the photographs were taken from the B6160. Once the new build at Forelands is complete the view above of that 17th farmhouse will not be visible. This view of Cote Bottom (below) would not be affected by the proposed extension:

Left: County Coun John Blackie (middle) with Tom Knowles (left) and Jim Cunnington of the Association of Rural Communities.

There must be sufficient touring caravan and tent pitches available in the Yorkshire Dales to allow people with limited incomes to enjoy the national park – and that need must become enshrined in the policies of the YDNPA.

This was the unanimous decision of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority’s planning committee on Tuesday, December 8. That was made exactly one year after Tom Knowles’ letter to the YDNPA in which he asked: “What will the Authority do to safeguard the right of young people and those on lower incomes to have access to the national park by ensuring that existing sites for touring caravans and tents are retained and, therefore, that the Yorkshire Dales are not turned into a rich man’s playground?”

Tom, who is the founder president of the Association of Rural Communities (ARC), owned the Westholme caravan park at Aysgarth for many years. He and his wife, Margaret, had welcomed a wide range of people and there were even two caravans owned by Sheffield Social Services to provide holiday accommodation for needy families. He began writing to YDNPA planning officers in 2008 to try and find out what was going on at Westholme. But, as was highlighted again at ARC’s agm in November, it would seem that YDNPA officers don’t always reply to correspondence.

When ARC began researching the situation at Westholme it found that an officer had decided that tents and touring caravans had a negative visual impact upon the landscape – and so had agreed with the owner at that time that they could be banned from the site. Neither the YDNPA members nor Burton cum Walden parish council were told about the amended plans (see below). And so the next owner was free to develop a luxury lodge site there. At the December planning meeting County Coun John Blackie pointed out that some of the lodges on that site are being sold for £240,000. Those lodges were installed thanks to what he described as the government’s incredibly loose definition of static caravans.

The YDNPA members did not learn about what had happened at Westholme until Hawes and High Abbotside parish council objected to touring 18 touring caravan pitches being replaced with 14 static pitches at Honeycott Caravan Site near Hawes, and ARC began requesting information. This led to the planning committee rejecting the Honeycott application. The reasons for refusal included that it would result in a detrimental change in the balance of provision of touring caravans and tents in the National Park and so would mean that less people would have an opportunity to understand and enjoy the special qualities of the Yorkshire Dales.

In her reasons for dismissing the appeal against this decision the planning inspector noted that approximately 200 touring caravan pitches had been lost in the Upper Wensleydale area in recent years, and of the 191 which remained 110 were only available to members of The Caravan Club. She upheld the opinion of the YDNPA  that this reduction would result in a lack of affordable accommodation and that people on lower incomes would have less opportunity to visit, stay overnight in and enjoy the National Park – and, therefore, detrimental to one of its statutory purposes. “The inspector was amazing. It is a ground breaking decision,” said Coun Blackie. He added that although this decision set a precedent it was not quite a policy precedent. He was concerned that it could take two to three years for the Authority to incorporate this into its policies.

He told  ARC committee members who attended the planning meeting that the Authority had instructed officers to send details of any amendments to planning applications to parish councils before any decision was made.

At the ARC agm there was concern about how many decisions were being made by officers under delegated powers and the instances of poor communications between them and those affected by those decisions. The chairman, Alastair Dinsdale, said that the Authority should follow its own code of conduct regarding responding to phone calls, emails and letters from residents and parish councils.

The other issues discussed at the agm included : the YDNPA’s efforts to find sites for affordable housing in the Yorkshire Dales; concerns about the impact upon the footpaths across the Three Peaks as the YDNPA was now encouraging large charity events to held there; the unfair competition that resulted for local businessmen when the Authority became involved in business ventures; and the lack of continuity in decision making when there  were frequent changes in staff at the YDNPA.

If you live in the Yorkshire Dales why not come to the annual meeting of the Association of Rural Communities and share your views on:  affordable housing; how the decisions of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) may affect local businesses; or even on communicating with the Authority. The meeting is at Kettlewell village hall at 7.30pm on Tuesday, November 24.

Tom Knowles, the president of the association, did not receive any response to his first two letters about the situation at Westholme caravan site. This changed only when the association became officially involved. Since then the Authority has not only thanked the association for raising the issue (see Association of Rural Communities: Park Debates ARC questions) but has won a landmark appeal in its efforts to now safeguard the provision of balanced visitor accommodation in the Yorkshire Dales. It had been feared that the decision made by an officer under delegated powers to ban touring caravans and tents from the Westholme site at Aysgarth would set a precedent that would be difficult to counteract.

The site at Honeycott near Hawes might have gone the same way as Westholme if Hawes and Lower Abbotside parish council had not raised the alarm. After Authority members unanimously voted for an interim policy to make sure there was a balance of visitor accommodation in the Yorkshire Dales the planning committee refused permission for Honeycott to become a site for only static caravans. In her decision about Honeycott the appeal inspector noted that there had been a loss of about 200 touring caravan pitches in the Yorkshire Dales in recent years. This could mean that people on lower incomes would have less opportunity to visit, stay overnight in, and enjoy the national park.

Code of Conduct

This year ARC has heard of several other complaints about YDNPA officers not replying to phone calls, emails or letters. According to the YDNPA in its own Standards of Service the officers should (besides avoiding jargon in their dealings with the public):

Answer all telephone calls within six rings and communicate promptly, acknowledge letters and emails, and respond within ten working days. We understand that “the YDNPA has embarked on a Customer Excellence accreditation pathway and so things are likely to improve in the next few months”. So do tell the association about your experiences and let’s keep a check on this situation. You can post comments here!

Local businesses and the YDNPA

Those with cafes and restaurants in Hawes are not the only ones worried about the Authority’s business ventures. They are concerned about the inclusion of a cafe in the Authority’s proposals to extend the Dales Countryside Museum.  Peter Bayes and his family at Pen-y-ghent cafe have often queried the Authority becoming involved in business ventures pointing out that it is hard to compete with a government funded quango. “It is not an even playing field,” said Peter.

Their business in Horton in Ribblesdale includes a small range of merchandise for those who have completed the Three Peaks walk. But now the YDNPA is selling its own “branded goodies”.  For more about the Pen-y-ghent cafe see the next article on this website. And again – if you have any comments about this do post them here or come to the annual meeting of ARC.

THE Yorkshire Dales National Park must have interim policies to protect a balanced range of visitor accommodation so that it did not turn into a rich man’s playground, it was decided at the authority’s meeting on Tuesday. This was agreed after members debated the three questions presented by the Association of Rural Communities about the ban on touring caravans and tents at the Westholme site near Aysgarth.

Both the association and its president, Tom Knowles, were thanked for raising the issue. None of the members had known about the decisions made by a planning officer under delegated powers concerning Westholme until informed by Mr Knowles.

So that a situation like that at Westholme could not happen again there was unanimous agreement on Tuesday that all applications in relation to caravan and camping site should be brought to the authority’s planning committee and not dealt with under delegated powers by officers.

Parish Coun Harold Brown commented: “Burton cum Walden parish council would have objected if it had known what the outcome what have been.” County Coun John Blackie said: “It should not have to be up to a small parish council to bring to the authority a matter of such importance. We need a fail safe system. “Unknown to us a precedent had already been created behind closed doors and we don’t want to be in that position again.”

He explained that even when there wasn’t a market down turn young people had been coming on camping holidays to the National Park and it had been shown that 80 per cent of them would return later to stay in a variety of accommodation. The provision of cheap and cheerful accommodation for such people was important, therefore, for the sustainability and viability of the local economy, he added.

Peter Stockton, a senior planning officer, pointed out: “We don’t have a planning policy to protect visitor facilities and perhaps we should have. There is a fundamental issue there.” He explained, however, that it could take a few years to research market trends and prepare a new policy. The members voted unanimously for an interim policy to make sure that there was a balance of visitor accommodation in the national park.

They also followed the lead of County Coun Roger Harrison Topham that the authority, via the Association of National Park Authorities, should lobby the government to change legislation on the definition of a static caravan. One member said that the definition was so wide it would include a chalet which had had wheels painted on it. It was due to that definition that the decision to allow only static caravans at Westholme had led to the introduction of luxury five-star chalets there and the Association of Rural Communities asking what the National Park would do to stop the Yorkshire Dales becoming a rich man’s playground.

Mr Stockton said that the decision concerning Westholme had been made on the basis of there being a significant overall environmental improvement if there were no touring caravans or tents there. And the YDNPA chief executive, David Butterworth, pointed out that when there seemed to be a conflict between a National Park’s objectives to conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage, and to promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of National Parks by the public, it had been accepted that the priority was conservation.

Members felt, however, that any such decisions should be made by the planning committee and not by an officer under delegated powers. One member did state, however, that touring caravans and tents could be a blight on the landscape.

After the meeting Mr Knowles said that it had not been possible to see the tents and touring caravans at the Westholme site which he had and his wife, Margaret, had run for many years. The site had, he said, provided an important facility for those taking part in Duke of Edinburgh award scheme expeditions in Wensleydale as well as for many other young campers.

The chairman of the Association of Rural Communities, Alastair Dinsdale, commented later about the unanimous vote of thanks to the association: “This is a milestone for Tom. It makes the monitoring of the YDNPA that he has done for so many years all worthwhile. He has sat through so many meetings.”

A £14million eco lodge development at Westholme, Aysgarth, which could set a precedent for losing touring caravan and camping sites in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, has gone ahead without the members of the planning authority knowing what was happening.

At the agm of the Association of Rural Communities, Tom Knowles, who developed Westholme in the 1970s into a site to accommodate  44 static caravans, 46 touring caravans and 23 tents, asked how the lodges could be described as “mobile homes”. He was also worried about the loss of sites for touring caravans and tents.

Hawes and High Abbotside parish council was so concerned this year that it  strongly objected to the proposed loss of  touring caravan pitches at Honeycott near Hawes, and so ensured that the application was discussed by members of the National Park Authority.

At the October planning meeting the members turned down the Honeycott application as they didn’t want to create an undesirable precedent and felt that the loss of touring caravan sites would result in a detrimental change in the balance of cheap holiday accommodation in the national park contrary to the policy of encouraging people to come and enjoy the area.

But this week, after seeing the Authority’s  file on Westholme County Coun John Blackie said: “We are the guardians …. but we have shut the stable door after the horse has bolted.”

He disagreed with the senior planning officer, Andrew McCullagh, that the members had been told about the loss of touring caravan and tent pitches at Westholme.

When the owners of Westholme sought the advice of officers in 2005 about remodelling the caravan park they made it clear that they wanted to replace touring caravans with static caravans.

In response the Authority’s strategic planning officer said that for any such scheme to be approved it had to deliver a significant environment improvement and was concerned about the possible loss of touring caravan pitches.

When Burton cum Walden parish councillors carefully examined the first application in March 2006 they saw nothing to object to and so it was dealt with under delegated powers by planning officers.

A planning officer then asked the owners, Quintain Estates, for an area set aside for touring caravans and tents to be included in the application.

He added: “If it is still to be used for camping or for touring caravans, the improvement in visual and landscape terms from some additional tree planting on the application site would hardly be ‘significant’ – there will still be brightly coloured tents.” He agreed that the area should be turned into a managed meadow.
Full planning permission for 74 statics was granted in March 2007. The site was then bought by Darinian Ltd which stated this week that it plans to turn it into an exclusive five-star luxury lodge park of quality holiday accommodation which should provide employment for 20 full and part time staff.

Some of the 68 lodges, priced between £195,000 and £245,000, will be let by Hoseasons with a four-bedroom lodge costing £630 per week in August 2009. The lodges are being advertised as having panoramic patio doors and windows and private terraces, some with outdoor hot tubs.

Mr McCullagh stated: “The lodges…. fall within the legal definition of “caravans”, a definition which is remarkably and notoriously wide.”

Under the 1968 Act twin units are subject to maximum dimensions and only have to be capable of being transported by road when fully assembled whether lawfully or not. Darinian claim that their lodges fall within that definition.

THOSE living in the Yorkshire Dales National Park should have their own say on renewable energy sources and the carbon footprint of their homes, the Association of Rural Communities stated this week (News release September 24, 2008)

“The National Park Authority seems to have a split personality on this issue,” said  the association’s chairman, Alastair Dinsdale.

“In their statements and their newsletters they say they are for renewable energy sources such as solar panels. And yet they have made it impossible for many living in conservation areas to have these. They even tried to extend conservation area restrictions to many other villages in 2006 through their Public Spaces, Private Spaces project.”

He has pointed out that people living in conservation areas are disadvantaged when it comes to introducing renewable energy sources. Over 30 villages in the National Park, including Carperby, are either fully or partially within conservation areas.

The association would like residents to send their opinions and comments to it, to be collated and published. You can use the comment form here to send your views to the association.

Jacqueline Simper outside her home in Carperby. Many villagers have pointed out that they never noticed the solar panels on the roof until the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority told her to remove them. They also feel that the electricity pole is far more obtrusive than the solar panels.

D&S Times, September 19 2008:

MEMBERS of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority will be asked in October to approve initiating a criminal prosecution against Jacqueline Simper of Carperby if she does not remove the solar panels on the roof of her home.

On hearing this at Carperby parish council meeting on Tuesday, James Holdsworth said: “Don’t they (the Authority)  realise what fools they are making of themselves as regards the government attitude on renewable energy sources.”

He and several parish councillors pointed out that almost all the villagers supported Mrs Simper’s attempt to retain the panels 

County Coun John Blackie, who is a member of the Authority, replied that it did not make sense to prosecute someone for trying to use quality renewable energy sources in her home. He added:

“I would love the members to say ‘we have made a mistake.’” He pointed out that when Mrs Simper’s retrospective planning application for the solar panels was discussed by Authority’s planning committee it was late in the day and several local members had left as they had work to do.

His proposal for permission to be given was lost by just one vote. “I am sure if more local members were there we would have won. I was very disappointed. And now we are backed into a corner.”

He explained that once the Planning Inspectorate had upheld the decision to refuse permission the Authority had to go ahead with enforcement. He would, however, oppose criminal prosecution.

“I will ask members to reconsider the position in entirety. We need another opportunity to consider where we are going regarding renewable energy sources and carbon footprint,” he said.

Some of the parish councillors pointed out that there were perceived inconsistencies in planning in the National Park as there were far more obtrusive solar panels on houses in other villages.

Coun Blackie said that the  problem had arisen because there was a more onerous planning regime enforced in conservation areas like Carperby.

Comment by the Association of Rural Communities: Alastair Dinsdale, the chairman of the Association, who lives in Carperby, said that conservation status had been forced on the village by the Authority even though few residents had supported it.  He added:

“These rules mean that people in conservation areas are disadvantaged when it comes to introducing renewable energy sources.

“The Authority goes heavy handed on the soft targets – the little people – but not on the more blatant abuses like moorland tracks. There are some much bigger enforcement issues that they are not touching.”

Background: When Mrs Simper bought an old barn in Carperby she hoped she could create a truly “green” living space which incorporated such renewable energy sources as solar panels and a ground and heat source air pump system. Being a newcomer to the area she didn’t realise that she had to apply for planning permission for the solar panels. She applied for retrospective planning permission in 2006 but as Coun Blackie said, it was refused by just one vote. She appealed to the Planning Inspectorate against an enforcement notice. The Planning Inspectorate dismissed her appeal in January 2008 because it was judged to be obtrusive in a conservation area.

SO WHAT IS OBTRUSIVE?

When discussing Mrs Simper’s solar panels many residents have said the same thing: “The National Park’s new office is far more obtrusive!” They question how a planning authority committed to conserving and preserving the beauty of the Yorkshire Dales could have given approval for a building (right) which is to them unduly noticeable.

The Association of Rural Communities was set up in 1995 to act as a watchdog on the activities and decisions of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA). The YDNPA is a quango and as Lord Peel of Gunnerside said at the association’s first annual meeting this can lead to an erosion of democracy in the National Park and the disenfranchisement of its residents.

The association’s committee members attend many of the planning and full committee meetings of the YDNPA as part of its watching brief. It wants to make sure that the voices of the people living and working in the National Park are heard. The membership fee is just £5. All details of membership are kept strictly confidential and cannot be accessed by outsiders.

If you would like an application form you can write to ARC, The Warren, Aysgarth, Leyburn, N Yorks, DL8 3AB.