Yorkshire Dales planning: barn conversion refused and new homes approved

The YDNP Planning Committee has approved an application for the construction of eight new homes in Austwick in Craven and refused a barn conversion in West Burton

Bainbridge, 9 June 2020

Planning Committee has approved an application for the construction of eight new homes in Austwick in Craven, bringing to 472 the number of extant permissions for new homes in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. 

The site is allocated in the Local Plan for new homes

Speaking after the Planning Committee meeting, the Authority’s Member Champion for Development Management, Jim Munday, said:  “These houses are very much needed in Austwick, just as houses are needed in towns and villages across the National Park to help retain a critical mass of population to maintain local services. Some Planning Committee Members expressed disappointment that none of the eight houses was to be affordable or local occupancy.  However, the developer will be required to provide a proportionate sum of money that will then be used to support affordable housing at other sites in the National Park that would not come forward without funding.

“Before development commences, further permission will need to be sought for the heating system and we will be working hard with the applicant to make sure renewable energy is installed, in line with the Authority’s commitment to address the ‘climate and nature emergency’.  All in all this is a very positive news for Austwick and the National Park and I wish the developer every success.”

The second of two applications to be decided by Planning Committee was an application to convert a field barn near West Burton in Richmondshire into a house.  It was refused.

Member Champion for Development Management Jim Munday said:  “Since the policy on barn conversions was relaxed in October 2015, we’ve approved 149 conversions and refused just 15.  This barn was in the middle of a field and had no access track leading to it, making the application to turn it into a house clearly against policy.  The Authority is committed to increasing local housing but we also have a duty to help conserve the farmed landscape of the National Park, which means we can’t support every proposal.