THE first planning committee meeting of Craven District Council to be held since the start of the coronavirus lockdown more than three months ago is due to take place next week.

Monday’s virtual meeting, which will be streamed live, will be the first time committee members have met to decide on planning applications since their last scheduled meeting on March 16.

Councillors will consider just three applications - a retrospective plan for decking at a home in Black Abbey Lane, Glusburn; changes to approved plans for The Ref and Whistle micro bar in Court Lane, Skipton, and its own application to install an 8ft by 2ft directional sign at the Union Business Park, Snaygill.

All three applications have been recommended for approval at the meeting which is due to start at 1.35pm.

There will be two extra meetings of the planning committee, in addition to the scheduled one on August 3, on July 20 and on August 17, both of which will also take place at 1.35pm and will be streamed live on YouTube.

A council spokesman said: “There is a need to convene additional meetings to deliver the planning service to applicants, the economy of the district and the community.

“There were nine applications that potentially could have been considered at the scheduled meeting on July 6. That was an unrealistic number to be considered by a Zoom meeting and therefore was restricted to three, leaving six to carry over to the scheduled meeting on August 3.

“Adding on what will be ready to determine, the draft agenda for August could be 11 applications or more. If again the scheduled August Zoom meeting only had three applications on the agenda a backlog develops, hence the need for additional meetings to address the potential escalation”.