A FARMER has said he has yet to hear from Craven District Council three months after he was awarded full costs over a planning appeal.

In December, a Government planning inspector overturned a decision by the council and said John Howard’s New Laithe Barn at Newton Grange Farm, Bank Newton, could stay as it was.

The council had told Mr Howard the rebuilt barn, close to the Pennine Way between Gargrave and East Marton, had to be reduced in size and had issued an enforcement notice.

But the Government inspector said the barn, used for the storage of ‘hay, straw and wool’ was of a reasonable size, even with its buttresses, that the council wanted removing, and referred to the ‘substantial, modern agricultural buildings’ of nearby Souber Dairy which stood ‘conspicuously on higher ground’.

The inspector also found the council guilty of ‘unreasonable behaviour’ in the appeal process and made a full award of costs against the authority - likely to be tens of thousands of pounds.

At yesterday’s (Monday) planning committee meeting of the council, Rachael Berry, Mr Howard’s daughter, said details of costs were submitted in January and there had been no response at all to four emails asking what progress had been made.

She said her father wanted to know when the enforcement notice would be removed, what action had been taken in the award of costs and the reason for the delay. “We are really concerned about it. We would like some comfort that these things are being looked at please, “ she said.

In response, the council’s planning manager, Neville Watson, said he would be replying in writing to Mr Howard’s agent, but he could say that the enforcement notice would be withdrawn and that the cost awards would be released.

He said the reason for the delay was that he was waiting for ‘final clarification’ on the cost awards, but expected it to be completed before Easter.