This meeting was to consider a number of planning applications, with a range of objections from the local community. Two of the applications had previously been approved by the former Craven Planning Committee, subject to legal agreements that were not signed.

Development at former Richard Thornton's School, Burton-in-Lonsdale

The committee were to consider an application for planning permission to build 11 new homes at the former Richard Thornton's School in Burton-in-Lonsdale.

This application had previously been approved by the former Craven Planning Committee on 13 March 2023, subject to a Section 106 legal agreement that was not signed because of viability concerns. The applicant subsequently submitted a viability report that suggested the scheme would not be viable with the obligations that had previously been agreed. This report was independently appraised and found to demonstrate that the proposed development would not be viable with any affordable housing or off-site public open space contributions.

This site is part of Local Plan Housing Allocation Site BU012. The other part of the site has an existing planning permission for a change of use to a residential care and education facility.

There were 14 letters of objection from local residents. The concerns raised included the impact on highway safety and nearby heritage assets.

Residential development to the north of Airedale Avenue, Skipton

The committee was to consider an application for planning permission to build 53 new homes on land to the north of Airedale Avenue in Skipton.

This application had previously been approved by the former Craven Planning Committee on 28 September 2020, subject to a legal agreement that was not signed.

The site is Local Plan Housing Allocation Site SK090. It is Council-owned land, and the report to the committee sets out that the scheme would be developed by the Council in partnership with a developer. The site lies adjacent to a protected railway track.

There were twelve letters of objection from local residents, including one from Skipton Town Council. The concerns raised included highway capacity, flooding and drainage, loss of greenfield land, and harm to wildlife and existing trees.

Construction of agricultural building at Souber Dairy, Bank Newton, Skipton

The committee was to consider an application for planning permission for a new agricultural building at Souber Dairy in Bank Newton near Skipton. The applicant is Mr Tom Dodgson.

The application site is outside the defined development limits, and therefore in open countryside.

There were eleven letters from the local community. Ten of these objected to the application, and one neither objected to nor supported the application. There were also objections from Bank Newton Parish Council. Concerns were raised about the impact of farm traffic on highway safety, the condition of Changeline Bridge, and the visual impact of the building from the Pennine Way Trail.

Variation of condition on development at Kirkby Malzeard

The committee were to consider an application for permission to vary the conditions on an existing planning permission for a development of 33 homes at Back Lane in Kirkby Malzeard. The applicant was Brierley Homes Ltd, which is owned by the Council. The site is in the Nidderdale National Landscape.

The current application sought to change the colour of the windows and garage doors from anthracite to pebble grey, with white frames.

This application was the latest in a series of variations to outline planning permission 17/04308/OUTMAJ and reserved matters scheme 20/04874/REMMAJ. The earlier variations had altered the phasing of conditions, changed the design of the houses, allowed the installation of air source heat pumps, and allowed the use of natural stone on all main elevations.

The report to the committee noted that undoubtedly there is a higher cost to a developer using natural slate, compared to a concrete tile but argued that the cost should not prevent the use of slate on this site. In order to ensure that the roofing materials are appropriate to the setting, it was recommended that condition 6 of the existing permission be reworded to require the submission of roofing materials for approval, and that the scope of acceptable materials be extended to natural slate.