COUNCILLORS are to scrutinise proposals for how Craven will grow over the next 15 years following a district-wide consultation in the summer which sparked hundreds of comments.

Craven's spatial planning sub-committee is set to consider the latest draft of the local plan at a meeting on Monday, November 27.

A number of changes have already been made in response to the consultation which attracted more than 900 comments from over 230 people.

They include the allocation of land to the north of Airedale Avenue and Elsey Croft in Skipton and east of the railway line in Skipton for a new primary school.

Other proposed changes include a new climate change policy, provision for 32 hectares of employment land, a policy on specialist housing for older people and changes to housing numbers for Rathmell, Settle and Bentham following the closure of Rathmell primary school.

There are also a number of changes to housing site allocations in Skipton, Settle and Bentham and the area around Skipton Woods is proposed to be designated as Local Green Space.

David Smurthwaite, Craven's strategic manager, planning and regeneration at Craven District Council, said: “The Planning Policy team has worked extremely hard to respond to the comments made in the Local Plan consultation and we have made a number of proposed changes to address the issues raised.

“We are now inviting councillors to examine these proposals in order to ensure we have a Local Plan that is sound and robust.”

Members of the committee are being asked to recommend the amended plan to policy committee on Thursday, December 7 for approval.

A further amended report on affordable housing will also be presented to policy committee. The plan is then due to go before full council on Tuesday, December 19.

If the plan is approved by full council, it will then be published after the Christmas and New Year holidays for a further six-week consultation, seeking views on whether the plan is sound and meets the tests set out in the National Planning Policy Framework.

Following the consultation, it will then be submitted for examination in public by a Government-appointed inspector.

For more information on the Local Plan go to the council’s website: www.cravendc.gov.uk/newlocalplan