POTENTIAL sites for 225 new homes across Craven are being put forward by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority.

As it moves forward to completion of its new Local Plan, which will run from 2025 to 2040, the authority has come up with a final shortlist of 23 preferred sites for around 370 new homes across the national park area.

They include ten sites across six villages in Craven - home to 42 per cent of those who live in the national park.

The shortlist, which follows both informal and formal consultations, is a pared down version of a list of 33 sites with around 600 homes that went out for consultation early last year.

Two controversial sites in Embsay, off Brackenley Lane, that would have seen around 120 new homes being built in the village, and generated strong opposition, have been removed from the list.

Other sites in Craven no longer in the list are at Pant Lane, Austwick and two sites in Grassington - north of Wharfe View and west of Garrs End Lane.

A previously preferred site in Horton-in-Ribblesdale, between Hillside and the recreation ground has been removed; as have two sites in Threshfield, to the east of Wharfeside Avenue, and to the back of Manor House Farm and the Village Institute.

In the new list for the Craven area are sites in Airton, Bolton Abbey, Grassington, Horton-in-Ribblesdale, Long Preston and Threshfield.

The largest number of new homes, 135, are proposed in Threshfield across three sites. They are 60 on land east of the B6160; 60 to the north of Upper Wharfedale School, and 15 to the north of the B6265, opposite Woodlands View.

Two preferred sites have been put forward in Grassington for 46 homes - 21 on land north of Moody Sty Lane, and 25 to the south east of Aynham Close.

Long Preston could see 22 new homes, on two sites - 12 to the rear of Moorfields and Guy's Cottages; and 10 between 36 and 38 Main Street.

A site to the west of the B6479, Horton-in-Ribblesdale, opposite Rowe Garth, is put forward for 11 new homes; five on land at Hallgarth in Airton; and six to the west of Mitford Cottages in Bolton Abbey. The national park authority says taken together with existing planning permissions for homes yet to be built, allocating the 23 sites would 'significantly' contribute to the authority's annual housebuilding target of 50 up until 2040.

Member champion for sustainable development Richard Foster said: “It is abundantly clear from the evidence we have gathered that we need more affordable housing, and more permanently occupied homes, in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. That’s what we want our new local plan to deliver.

“We must also conserve and enhance the nationally-important landscape of the national park, and protect communities from unsustainable development. We have listened and responded to many of the concerns people expressed in the consultation last year. The further, detailed information provided by the councils, utility companies and others showed that some of the 33 sites were not suitable for development, and others needed to be refined to reduce the development footprint."

He added: "I would encourage all interested parties to respond to our latest consultation. These sites will deliver around 370 dwellings – and, crucially, many of these will be affordable housing. When added to planning permissions that have already been granted, this will go a long way towards meeting the 750 target between now and 2040.

"It has not been possible to get an even spread of sites across the national park. There are fewer sites in the north because fewer options for development were put forward by landowners there.

"Sites in the north also tend to be smaller because the constraints around landform, landscape and flood risk are greater. We will now be working closely with the housing authorities and housing associations to identify future ‘exception’ sites for affordable housing in the north of the national park."

The authority intends to publish the draft local plan early next year. In addition to housing development sites, it will include policies designed to shape development in the national park.

The consultation is open until Tuesday October 29. Go to: www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/localplanconsultation7