Skipton and Ripon MP, Rt Hon Sir Julian Smith KCB CBE MP has written to Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, urging a reconsideration of the size of proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework, which would significantly increase North Yorkshire's housing targets.
In his letter Julian expressed concern over the new housing targets set by the Government’s proposed changes to the standard method for calculating housing need. Under the current method, North Yorkshire Council is required to deliver 1,384 new homes per year. However, the proposed changes would increase this figure to 4,232 new homes annually.
In his letter, Julian notes that North Yorkshire Council has consistently surpassed its housing targets, averaging around 2,800 new homes per year - exceeding both the 1,384 homes required under the current method and the 2,289 homes planned for in inherited local plans.
However, Julian believes the size of the new target is unrealistic and unsustainable for the region. He highlighted that generating demand for this new figure would require job creation in North Yorkshire to increase more than ninefold alongside significant upgrades to infrastructure, neither of which are feasible within a short time frame.
Julian also raised concerns about the region’s environmental protections, noting that North Yorkshire is home to two National Parks and two National Landscapes, which restrict development. He warned that the infrastructure upgrades necessary to support such a large increase in housing would likely lag behind the pace of development, leading to negative impacts on the local community and environment.
Julian has called on the Government to engage closely with North Yorkshire Council and the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire to find a more practical solution. He urged the Secretary of State to stretch North Yorkshire’s existing plans, but to ensure that they were "ambitious but deliverable."
You can read a copy of Julian's letter below.
