GIVING the go-ahead to the building of a single, detached house in the open countryside near Skipton would go against the new Craven Local Plan, heard councillors.

Councillors at Craven District Council’s remotely held planning meeting were asked to take a closer look at the scheme to build a new home next to High Calebs Barn in Cawder Lane, which had been set for refusal, on the request of ward councillor Robert Heseltine.

The application was recommended for refusal on five separate grounds, including it went against the local plan, and that Cawder Lane was unsuitable for traffic generated by the new development.

Cllr Andy Solloway (Ind, Skipton South), said he had received no objections to the scheme from residents, and questioned comments received by the highways authority, which recommended refusal of the scheme, after first raising no objection.

“I don’t have a problem with it, and I think residents would have let me know if they had a problem with it. We should take each application on its own merits," he said.

In a statement read out at the meeting, the applicant’s agent, Ernest Calvert, said the planned two bed bungalow with solar panels and landscaping would fit to a degree with climate change proposals; there had been no objections from neighbours, and it was no bigger than the original plans, approved in 1989.

But Cllr Andy Brown (Green, Aire Valley with Lothersdale) said the Craven Local Plan was very clear as far as development in the open countryside was concerned; there were a number of tests if building was to be allowed, and the application failed to fulfil any of them.

"If it fails on the local plan, we must say no," he said.

Cllr Chris Rose (Lab, Skipton West) said she knew the area well and thought it inappropriate for another dwelling. “We have got a local plan, and we should stick to it.”

Planning manager, Neville Watson, said: “We have got a local plan and this is clearly in the open countryside. Policies clearly set out what is acceptable in the open countryside."