PLANS to build eight three-bedroomed terraced houses along with a new sports changing facility and the realignment of the football pitch with a jogging track on Hellifield Recreation Ground have been submitted to Craven District Council's Planning department.

The application, submitted by Craven Cattle Marts (CCM) through Rural Solutions planning consultants, states the houses will have private parking and gardens and that the existing football pitch and children's playground will be moved slightly further eastwards from their current position off Haw Lane and Thorndale Street.

A jogging track around the relocated football pitch together with new benches and tree planting is also proposed along with a timber screen enclosing a shipping container used for storage associated with Hellifield Gala equipment.

As well as car parking spaces being provided adjacent to the new changing facility for sports users, two new car parking spaces are proposed to be provided at the top of both Haw Grove and Thorndale Street for use by local residents.

Skipton-based CCM Auctions owns the recreation ground and provides it to the Hellifield Parish Council on a long-term peppercorn rent.

A 2016 assessment by Craven District Council found that the recreation ground’s changing facility was “one of the worst in the area and requires full redevelopment” and also heavily criticised the conditions of the playing pitch as it “does not allow play during periods of poor weather”.

Jeremy Eaton, general manager of CCM Auctions, said: “We are pleased to bring forward these proposals for Hellifield’s recreation ground and believe they will make a big improvement to it.

"The proposed new sports changing facility and other improvements will be funded by the release of a small section of the existing recreation ground that is not in use, for a row of new terraced houses.”

The application for the site include a proposed legal agreement including a requirement for the pitch and playground to be completed before any of the houses are occupied and for the new changing facilities to be completed before 50 per cent of the new houses have been occupied.

The site borders the Yorkshire Dales National Park where the boundary is around 50 metres north of the site over the railway line.

The design and access statement states the aim is to maintain the existing uninterrupted views of the surrounding rural landscape from Thorndale Street and Thornview Road.

The design of the proposed homes incorporates coarse local stone with stone quoins, grey slate roofs, white-painted timber windows and painted timber doors.

The developers state the plans are to create a high quality, low density residential development to reflect the local vernacular; to improve the condition of the recreation ground and changing facilities for the football pitch by providing modern changing blocks.

The proposal is to relocate the existing play area and improve the parking provision for facilities within the site and provide ecological enhancement to the site through retaining and enhancing trees and landscaping within and around the recreation ground.

The plans are expected to be determined before the end of October.