A ban on new housing in the Yorkshire Dales National Park being used as holiday lets or second homes is being proposed.
The public is being invited to comment on a number of new planning policies for the park, including a policy that would require all new housing to be for ‘permanent residency’ only.
The policy is already in-force in the North York Moors, Northumberland and Exmoor National Parks.
It has been proposed amid growing concern about the number of holiday lets and second homes in the Dales, and the difficulties for local residents to find suitable housing.
At present, developments of more than five homes have no occupancy restrictions, provided half of the homes are affordable, meaning that homes on larger sites are at risk of bringing little benefit to local communities.
A consultation paper published today sets out the options preferred by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA), which is the local planning authority, for a new local plan to cover the period 2023 to 2040.
Officials say it is the result of more than two years of evidence gathering and it reflects the responses received during a series of previous public consultations on specific policy issues such as a housing target, sustainable places for growth and barn conversions.
This latest consultation on a new local plan is intended to test whether people think policy-makers are on the right track.
Other policies include a requirement for new development to demonstrate climate change adaptation measures; stringent protection for the core area of the National Park’s Dark Sky Reserve; and a revised housing target for 50 new dwellings per year.
Another stand out policy in the preferred options consultation paper is to require most barn conversions to be for local occupancy housing only.
This would mean barns could only be converted into holiday lets in more limited circumstances such as part of a farm diversification scheme.
Member Champion for Sustainable Development at the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, Carl Lis, said: “I share the concerns of many local people that communities continue to be weakened by the loss of homes to under-occupation, either to the second home or holiday let market.
“Many people cannot find an affordable place to buy or rent in the National Park.
“So, in our preferred options for the new local plan we are trying to do everything in our power to make planning policy that will benefit the community, the local economy and the environment.
“The question is, are we on the right track?
“There are a number of policies in the preferred options consultation paper that show no change, such as on waste management, because they don’t need to change.
“But they are presented along with what is new because it’s part of our contract with the public to show what we are doing.
“I would urge people with a care for the national park and the local communities in it to have a look at this latest consultation paper and let us know what they think.”
The public consultation on the preferred options for the Yorkshire Dales National Park Local Plan 2023-2040 opens today and will run until Friday, August 19.
The new local plan will be the first to cover the whole of the Yorkshire Dales National Park as extended in 2016.
For the past six years, planning applications from the areas of Cumbria and Lancashire which became part of the National Park have been judged against different local plans.
Click here to view the consultation document.
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Sounds a good idea to keep the balance of holiday and permanent homes
Great idea ,there are far too many holiday lets and second homes in the dales and too many which are left empty in the winter months .Our young people have no chance of buying a house when competing against incomers ,mostly southerners, with deep pockets .
Holiday homes and particularly second homes can be the death of a village for example Langthwaite in Arkengarthdale has become a veritable ghost village. I am beginning to witness the beginnings of this in Downholme with five homes that no longer belong to local full time residents. Please protect our communities and their cultural traditions.
Surely if any new policies dictate that new properties can only be used for permanent residency the market value will still be too high for young locals and could even rise further- those with the most money will pay the most regardless of where they come from.
There needs to be more encouragement, help and emphasis placed on schemes eg group self build schemes etc for young (and old)local residents and workers to help themselves to attain home ownership.Flexibility on residential building sites of scale for local occupants without any detrimental levies or financial payments linked to numbers of properties and most of all a genuine desire to keep our Dales living and breathing with housing for workers to service the businesses and families to ensure our schools, services and shops are viable. It’s shocking to see excellent businesses having to close because of lack of staff.