A BID to halt changes to the way planning applications are handled in the Yorkshire Dales has been launched.

Six members of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) have called for a meeting to discuss a reduction of the planning committee.

At a meeting in May, the authority voted to cut the committee from 15 members to 11.

However, objectors say this has upset the balance of the committee by increasing the power of members who live outside the national park.

One of the six, Councillor John Blackie, said: "We seem to have gone back to the old days when decisions were being made by people who lived well beyond the Dales.

"These problems were addressed and for the past ten years we have had a locally-minded planning committee - where's the harm in that?

"With an 11-member committee, it's quite possible to imagine a planning committee with just one or two members from Richmondshire on the committee."

A motion handed to YDNPA chief executive, David Butterworth, on Friday, calls for the 15- member committee to be restored.

The members have asked that the issue is discussed on Thursday, at The Buck Inn, Reeth, before a scheduled training session.

In response to the motion, Carl Lis, YDNPA chairman, said: "Under the authority's procedure, I have no option but to agree to the staging of the special meeting, even though the decision to reduce the size of the planning committee was taken only six weeks ago.

"The public must be very confused because normally the authority rule does not allow any decision made by members to be revisited within six months. This petition aims to set aside that rule.

"We will be contacting members to see if they are able to attend this meeting because it is important that, on such a serious matter, as many as possible are present. If a lot are unable to be there on that date, we will be looking for another day to hold the meeting.

"The final decision about the future size of the planning committee will lie with the members of the authority at this meeting."