THE Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority has granted planning permission for seven static holiday caravans to be sited on a small site at Long Ashes Park, Threshfield.

The go-ahead was given despite park owners Lakeland Leisure Estates failing to provide a five-year-plan for the park.

County councillor Shelagh Marshall said she was deeply disappointed that the five-year-plan had not been provided and Richard Graham, the authority’s head of development management, said the company had been asked on more than one occasion to provide detailed proposals for the site.

The planning committee was told that the seven caravans would not be seen from outside the park as they would be well screened by trees and conditions could be imposed requiring further ecological improvements to the whole park.

Craven councillor John Roberts said Threshfield Parish Council had objected to the application.

“The parish council is saying ‘enough is enough’,” he explained. “This is the largest caravan site in the national park. I believe it has reached its capacity.”

However, he said he accepted the planning officer’s advice but would abstain from voting because he felt the opinion of the parish council was so important.

Members Andrew Colley and Roger Harrison asked if the authority could insist on a comprehensive re-modelling scheme for Long Ashes, but Mr Graham reminded the committee that it was only dealing with an application for seven static caravans.

ARC News Service