I HAVE taken considerable interest in the recent articles and correspondence in the Craven Herald concerning the Local Plan (Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority).

I have lived in or been based in the Dales for over 80 years. I have seen nearly all the villages grow larger, not necessarily to their enhancement. Now we have plans for further expansion. The excuse is to accommodate more active young people in the national park. This is a perfect example of the short-term fix. Why? Because young people grow old, and you would then want to attract and accommodate more new young people in yet more new houses.

Developers will ruthlessly exploit any excuse to build groups of houses on virgin land, with little regard to preserving the natural unspoilt beauty of the Dales. We must make better use of existing housing stock, redundant agricultural buildings and true brown-field sites.

We must also make more effort to discourage our young people from drifting away from the Dales Traffic is indeed a problem in the Dales, but it is not permanent, and the people it brings in for work or pleasure leave the national park to go home. Well screened car parks, better public transport, and perhaps the reopening of Grassington Station might ameliorate the problem.

At some point somebody has to say stop spoiling that which we wish to preserve.

Tom Gibson

Stirton