Planning blueprint backed to create housing and attract investment

A vision for future development across North Yorkshire is being heralded as vital to tackle the affordable homes crisis.

Senior North Yorkshire County councillors have this week given their unanimous approval for a detailed blueprint for development, called the Local Plan, to be adopted within a five-year deadline of a new council being launched in the spring of next year to cover the whole of North Yorkshire.

Proposals for six planning committees based around the current parliamentary constituencies were approved, with a strategic planning committee responsible for major developments in the county.

The decision to support both the Local Plan and the planning committee structure will now be considered by members at a full council meeting in February before final approval is given to adopt the policies for the new North Yorkshire Council, which launches on April 1 next year.

It is hoped the new planning policies will help tackle the affordable homes crisis in North Yorkshire, which is particularly acute in the county’s rural and coastal areas.

Average house prices in the Yorkshire Dales are about a third higher than the county’s average, with the average cost of a property nearly £400,000 while the weekly wage in North Yorkshire is just over £530.

Executive member for growth and housing, Cllr Simon Myers, said: “The launch of North Yorkshire Council, which will cover the whole of the county, presents a huge opportunity to provide a co-ordinated planning policy.

“This will help attract new investment and bring in much-needed new homes to address the affordable housing issues. A clearly defined approach to local and countywide planning issues is also critical to ensure fairness and opportunity for all.

“The need to ensure development in the county is handled in the best interests of everyone involved is vital with the launch of the new council, and we are confident the approach to planning will be conducted in a fair, impartial and transparent way.”

Local Plans provide a vision for boosting the economy and co-ordinating development for planning authorities across the country, but this will be the first time that a single document has been drawn up for the whole of North Yorkshire.

The current seven district and borough councils in North Yorkshire act as planning authorities, but the move to one unitary authority presents the chance to provide a single, unified approach to development.

The Local Plan for the new North Yorkshire Council will look ahead for a minimum of 15 years, and at least 30 years in relation to any larger scale developments, such as new settlements or significant extensions to urban areas.

North Yorkshire Council will be launched when North Yorkshire County Council and the existing seven district and borough authorities are replaced in the biggest shake-up of local government since 1974. It is a legal requirement for the new authority to develop a Local Plan within five years of its launch.