A STRUGGLE over the future of historic farm buildings in the Yorkshire Dales looks set to resume as planners meet to consider a young farming family’s proposal to restore a Victorian house on a moor that was abandoned more than half a century ago.

An online meeting of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority’s planning committee on Tuesday will hear a Swaledale couple with two children are seeking consent to re-occupy the traditional stone building close to the Pennine Way at West Stonesdale, in the Swaledale and Arkengarthdale barns and walls conservation area.

The application is the latest in a series of moves to convert the area’s distinctive historic farm buildings that have seen the authority’s members split over whether conservation or communities should be of paramount concern.

Documents submitted to support the application state the proposals would see a track leading to the property improved for walkers and horse riders and “provide a long-term conservation option” to stop the 1876 building becoming derelict and that the proposed works “have been designed to be minimalistic and as low impact as possible”.

The application states: “Without receiving consent to reoccupy, this former house will likely fall into disrepair and join the many already ruined buildings which have past the stage of revival.”

Upper Dales North Yorkshire county councillor Yvonne Peacock, who is campaigning to reverse the exodus of young people from the national park, said as the property used to be a home, would be sympathetically restored and would support a young farming family, the proposals should be granted.

She said: “It is important that we keep young farming families. This is what we need for the future of the Dales.”

However, the park authority’s officers said to re-occupy a building it had to be demonstrated they are worthy of conservation, and proposed home had “only moderate interest as a heritage asset”.

They added the existing track to the property “is a very obvious blemish on the hillside” and the new track would have a detrimental impact on “public views of the wide open, undeveloped landscape”.

Planning officers said while the building contributes to the conservation area, the harm to the character by re-occupying the property outweighed benefits that would result from the maintenance of the former home.

Recommending the scheme be rejected, officers stated: “This is a remote site and the level of activity would be at odds with the character of the location.”