A CAMPAIGN to stop young families in the Upper Dales from becoming an endangered species has been launched – with an emphasis on providing more housing and job.

A steady decline in school attendance figures shows the extent of the problem, with a 50 per cent decrease in the last 15 years, signalling a crisis point for small Dales communities that will crumble without the lifeblood of young people.

Leader of Richmondshire District Council, Cllr John Blackie, will be delivering a speech on the issue at an area partnership meeting on Wednesday, September 24, addressing the issues of young families voting with their feet to leave the Dales.

He has launched a year-long mission to try to stem the exodus of the younger generations from deeply rural communities in the Dales as well as district by improving affordable housing, jobs, business opportunities and locally-accessible key public services.

Cllr Blackie said: “This is not a problem that will go away if we just wait to see what happens – that is not an option.

“First of all we need to recognise what is happening right under our noses.

“The school population in Reeth and Gunnerside has gone from 95 to 47 places in the last 15 years; and at Askrigg and Bainbridge there has been a drop from 117 children on the school roll to just 66.”

Cllr Blackie cited employment and affordable housing as two major factors in families moving away and said authorities in the district must work together to avoid a crisis.

“We have go to increase the supply of affordable housing, and we need to generate jobs.

“Richmondshire District Council already has an economic development officer whose first task is to kick-start the rural economy, but we need to work with the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority.”

He said the national park authority’s decision to ban development on barns for business use sent out a message that entrepreneurs were not welcome in the Dales.

He added that the loss of services such as buses and local maternity services was also key in driving people away.

He said: “One of the ways we can tackle the problem is through broadband, which is coming to Hawes in October, and it is already available in Reeth so we have to take advantage of that.

“The upgrade of the A1 could also be beneficial, as could the developments in Catterick Garrison and Scotch Corner which will bring in around 1,500 jobs.

The Upper Dales Area Partnership meeting will take place on Wednesday, September 24, at West Burton Village Hall at 7pm.