A PARISH councillor has said a plan to build 39 more homes in Embsay would nearly double the number of houses needed in the village.

The Chatsworth Settlement Trustees, who run the Duke of Devonshire's Bolton Abbey Estate, are seeking outline planning permission to build a mix of 39 residential dwellings in Shires Lane.

A design and access statement, prepared by Leeds-based Pearce Bottomley Architects, says the work would involve creating two access points and replacing an existing culvert on the site by re-instating a beck.

The architects say re-instating the beck would alleviate local flood issues and provide a number of ecological benefits.

Other benefits outlined in the architects' report include the provision of affordable properties for local residents and helping to meet the council’s housing requirement.

However, members of Embsay with Eastby Parish Council are not convinced another housing development is needed in the village, and have organised an open forum on July 9, so parishioners can express their views Parish council chairman, Councillor Brian Shuttleworth, said Craven District Council’s Draft Local Plan – published last year – called for the building of 45 houses in Embsay during the next 15 years.

But he said an outline plan to build 34 homes on land off Shires Lane was approved last year, and this application was then extended by 12 houses in early June.

These 46 homes, coupled with the possible approval of this new outline plan, would mean 85 new homes being built in the next five years.

"That is far more houses than the current identified need," said Cllr Shuttleworth. "It's difficult to programme how many houses you're going to release each year, but 85 homes is almost twice as many as what is needed."

Cllr Shuttleworth said this would result in a huge increase in traffic in Shires Lane, making it difficult for motorists and pedestrians to negotiate the "difficult" junction of Shires Lane and East Lane.

He added: "Pedestrians already take their life into their hands crossing the road near the paper shop.

"Another issue is the proposal to open up an underground culvert and create a shallow valley stream. Although this will improve flood risk on the site, the increased flow of water running into Skipton will transfer the problem elsewhere."

"There will also be repercussions on the infrastructure of the village," said Cllr Shuttleworth, who added more houses could mean a bigger demand on school places. "People don't come to a village for their children not to go to school in the village.

"I'm just concerned about the overall scale of what could happen in a very short period of time."

The forum will take place in Embsay Village Hall at 7pm.