AROUND 70 people attended a public meeting in Hellifield following the submission of amended plans for a holiday park on the 'flashes' on the outskirts of the village.

Councillor Simon Myers, who represents Mid-Craven on North Yorkshire Council, talked to residents about the plans for up to 73 lodges and a reception cabin on land to the east of Waterside Lane, together with parking and landscaping.

The outline application is the last in a series of applications going back several years for the site which is allocated in the Craven Local Plan with potential for 'tourist development'.

The meeting heard that the proposed site, which lies just outside the Yorkshire Dales National Park is a stronghold for wading birds such as lapwings and curlews, and is popular with walkers.

More than 50 people so far have left comments on North Yorkshire Council's planning portal following the submission of amended plans in the middle of November.

Amongst the objectors is the Craven Badger Group whose chair in a submission to the council writes that badgers - a protected species - regularly use the site.

They state: "Badgers are not numerous in the Craven area, and development is becoming an ever increasing problem for them.

"We have both recent and past evidence that badgers are regularly using the area (of the planning application). This is excellent foraging ground for badgers with setts nearby. Any building will undoubtedly disrupt their behaviour and potentially force them onto the busy and dark A65 with fatal consequences for them and possible road traffic accidents."

Outline plans for a leisure centre including swimming pool, hotel, up to 300 lodges, park and ride and pedestrian access to Hellifield Station at the flashes were dismissed by Craven District Council at a meeting in Gargrave in March, 2019.