THE owner of a barn in Littondale in the Yorkshire Dales National Park has been given planning permission to convert it into a home.

Members of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority’s Planning Committee approved an application to convert the barn at Redmire Farm, Hawkswick, into a two bedroom, short stay holiday let.

Carl Lis, chairman of the national park, said: “The conversion of barns plays an important part in our goal to promote local affordable housing and to help communities face the future more securely.

“To that end, the authority’s new, updated local plan contains more flexible guidelines to make it easier to convert roadside barn conversions into housing for local people.

“At the same time, the creation of a holiday letting cottage at Redmire Farm will enable the owners to diversify their business and widen the range of sustainable visitor accommodation.”

The planning committee also approved the residential conversion of a barn at Cubble Head, Burtersett, into a three-bedroom local occupancy home.

The local plan, which details the authority’s 15-year strategy for sustainable development in the national park, has been submitted to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

An inspector has been appointed to examine whether it is justified by the evidence, conforms to national policy and is otherwise effective and fit for purpose.

The inspector carried out a series of round-table hearings with consultees and officers of the authority in July and will now write a report that will be published by the authority, probably by the end of the year.

The authority is hoping for a positive outcome so it can adopt the new plan and fully implement it to support sustainable development in the national park.