Have your say on dales housing policy

PEOPLE living in and around the northern Yorkshire Dales are being invited to have their say on the contentious issue of local housing.

Residents are being invited to one of a series of meetings next Wednesday (25 July), organised the National Park Authority (YDNPA) at venues across the across the dales to give local people a chance to influence the new Local Development Framework - a set of planning policies which will eventually replace the existing development plan.

The YDNPA expects the review of housing policy to generate much debate and hopes local people will take this opportunity to help shape future policy. To stimulate discussion, a paper on the subject has been posted on the authority's website - www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/planning_policy.

Central issues include:

• Should new sites be released on the edge of towns and villages for more affordable housing?
• Should housing development boundaries be adjusted to release more small sites, infill and barn conversion opportunities for local occupancy housing?
• Should new housing include renewable energy?

Yvonne Peacock, Member Champion for Forward Planning, said:

"The debate on housing policy continues to move forward and I would urge anyone with an interest to get involved.

"Despite pioneering local occupancy policies in the Local Plan published in 2006, the shortfall of affordable housing and the range of housing accessible to new households living and working in the National Park is clearly getting worse and not better.

"We therefore need to rethink housing policy and consider how we can be more proactive about the provision of new sites, without harming the qualities that make the Dales special."

The meeting will take place on Wednesday 25 July at 6.30pm at the YDNPA offices at Yoredale, Bainbridge.

Anyone unable to attend the event can still contribute to the debate by completing a questionnaire on the subject. Copies are available at www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/planning_policy.

Three public meetings have already taken place in Sedbergh, Ingleton and Grassington and one more is planned on Tuesday 7 August starting at 7pm at the People's Hall in Sedbergh.