Residents in Glusburn and Cross Hills are being given the opportunity to influence future planning policy in their parish.

Up to 2,000 questionnaires are being distributed to householders asking for their views on the number and location of future housing developments.

The answers will be collated and presented to Craven District Council so the information can form part of its Local Development Frame-work – a group of documents council planning officers use for guidance when making decisions.

The survey is being conducted by the Glusburn and Cross Hills Housing Group with the support of the parish council. It is being done in anticipation of the Localism Bill, which was announced earlier this year and is expected to be passed by November 2011.

Under the Bill, residents would be able to set out an overall plan for development in their area, which would then be voted on in a referendum. This would allow voters to decide where building takes place and which green spaces should be protected.

Verner Wheelock, chairman of the housing group, said: “The approach being taken by the coalition government is that the views of local people are important. They have said they want to devolve power to the local community. We are taking that at face value. We want to find out what local people feel. If the Government is as good as their word, this really is an opportunity for people to express their views.”

Parish councillor Patrick Hargreaves, a member of the housing group, said: “It is really important that we get a good response to the questionnaires. That way people will have their voices heard.

“We want the information to be accurate so that it gives us good, robust information to go on. We want the results to stand up so they can be taken seriously. The idea is we can then put that information forward to Craven District Council, North Yorkshire County Council and other bodies.”

Mr Hargreaves said there had been a number of contentious planning applications in Glusburn, including a proposed development on a greenfield site off Green Lane and a housing development behind Hayfield Mills. He said he understood revised plans were being drawn up for both sites.

“There are potentially two really large schemes in the pipeline,” he said. “This makes the housing needs survey even more relevant.”

Ward councillor Philip Barrett said the housing survey carried out for Craven District Council in 2005 only managed an 18 per cent return. He urged residents to fill in their questionnaires and return them by the December 22 deadline.