CLAPHAM Parish Council has submitted a neighbourhood plan to the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority.

The plan, which applies to the whole of the parish council area, will guide future development in the village of Clapham and at Newby, Keasden and Clapham Station.

It’s only the second neighbourhood plan to be submitted inside the national park after Gargrave's plan, which was adopted following a local referendum in 2019.

The Clapham cum Newby plan, which has been prepared by a steering group co-ordinated by the parish council, would run for seven years to 2030.

Richard Foster, member champion for sustainable development for the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority said: “North Yorkshire Council and the national park authority are pleased to receive this neighbourhood plan.

"Clapham cum Newby is a strong community and benefits from a particularly high-quality heritage of buildings and a fine landscape. The aim of the plan is to conserve these features and support a safe, healthy and balanced community through the provision of sustainable development”.

Public comments are now invited on the draft, which is available to view on the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority’s website . Comments close on December 18.

The draft plan, together with all the responses from the consultation will be referred to an independent examiner for consideration. Subject to the outcome of the examination, there will then be a parish referendum, with residents having the final say on whether it should be legally adopted.