Largest town to get larger

Sedbergh, the largest town within the Yorkshire Dales National Park is to see a new housing development built.

The Park Authority's Planning Committee has voted to approve plans for 34 affordable new homes in Sedbergh, in the county of Cumbria, as part of a housing association-led development of 49 homes.

Family dwellings with three bedrooms, garden and parking space are a feature of the plans. The homes, to be heated by air source pumps, will be built on the west side of the town off Station Road in a large field part-allocated for housing in the Local Plan.

The committee granted planning permission subject to a legal agreement on the number of affordable units being built and a set of ‘local connection criteria’ for the new owners or tenants.

It means that the largest town in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, Sedbergh, will get larger, with the new dwellings built in a simple vernacular style and made up of detached, semi-detached, terrace and bungalows, as detailed in the planning officer’s report on the Broadacres Housing Association and South Lakes Housing Association scheme. 

Jim Munday, the Member Champion for Development Management at the National Park Authority, said: “We have agreed with local people and partner organisations that we should be supporting the completion of 400 dwellings between 2018 and 2024. Meeting this target is proving challenging for a variety of reasons, but large schemes such as the one approved today for Sedbergh will make a big contribution.  The Yorkshire Dales is a popular place with high house prices. We need to ensure there is a supply of affordable housing for people who want to live and work here, so a further 34 rented and shared ownership homes for people with local connections is most welcome.”

The meeting was held in person at Grassington Town Hall this afternoon.  It was the first time the Planning Committee had met in person since 10 March 2020, with a total of 10 meetings having taken place online owing to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Planning Committee also made a decision on an application from Tarmac Aggregates Ltd to extend the working life of Dry Rigg Quarry in Helwith Bridge in Horton-in-Ribblesdale.  It voted to grant planning permission.