A HOUSING scheme which could pave the way for stemming the exodus of young families from a national park has been approved.

Richmondshire District Council leader Councillor Yvonne Peacock described the largest housing development to be passed in the Yorkshire Dales National Park since 2014 as “a game-changer” in the fight to increase the number of 18 to 44-year-olds living and working in the area.

She said the scheme could serve as a template for numerous housing schemes across the park, particularly following the defeat of a plan to boost available property for young workers by increasing council tax for second home owners.

The rise in the number of properties used as holiday homes – which is as high as 30 per cent in some areas of the park – and retired residents has led to concerns for community facilities such as schools.

Cllr Peacock, who is also a member of the national park authority, said its planning authority had been able to pass the scheme for 17 homes – eight of which will be affordable – in West Witton, in Wensleydale, due to two recent key changes.

The authority’s policy has been amended to incentivise developers, with schemes of more than ten properties to sell properties on the open market, while the government has also relaxed its affordable housing rules.

The joint Swale Valley Construction and Richmondshire District Council scheme could also see part of a significant amount of affordable housing funding set aside from developments where none could be built used to ensure the viability of rented affordable properties in the project.

Cllr Peacock said the West Witton scheme would help boost the school roll at West Burton, where pupil numbers have declined. An officers’ report to the park authority stated in the Richmondshire area of the park alone from 2012/13 to date only three affordable houses had been built, indicating a backlog of 297 homes in the number of affordable homes needed.

Among concerns raised in nine letters of objection over the scheme, were that the scheme would swamp West Witton, lead to more development by the site, have insufficient parking, raise noise and impact on dark skies.

The park authority’s development boss, Robert Heseltine said: “Our message to developers is simple: if you bring forward high quality schemes for the sites allocated in the Local Plan, we will approve them.”

Upper Dales councillor John Blackie said the West Witton scheme was “a much better way of keeping local families in the area.

He added: “I do hope we can use this in future for other schemes in areas where affordable housing is desperately needed, such as Arkengarthdale.”