RICHMONDSHIRE District Council is set to become the first authority to debate proposed tax rises on second homes in the Yorkshire Dales National Park next week.

Members are set to discuss a raft of measures put forward by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) to try and entice more families to settle in the region.

Among the suggestions is whether councils agree in principle to raise council tax for second home owners as part of a pilot scheme to release more affordable homes onto the market.

Richmondshire council is one of eight local authorities which straddle the Park’s boundaries and will be the first to discuss the proposals on February 27.

The YDNPA is seeking the councils’ support to open talks with the Government over keeping the Dales’ rural communities sustainable.