A countryside champion and stalwart member of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority has stepped down, saying his views have been ignored.

Wilf Fenten, from Selside, had spent 14 years as a national park member but now feels he is being stifled. He has left with a “heavy heart”, stating the authority had become unrecognisable.

“For some time I have felt isolated and unsupported,” said Mr Fenten.

“Over the last 18 months it has felt increasingly alien to me. Many of my views, which were quite mainstream a few years ago, are now looked at with suspicion and are thought of as ‘extreme’.

“Most members still think industrial farming and high-carbon tourism are perfectly acceptable or even preferable. Those members are obstacles to the economic regeneration of the Dales. Many seem to have other interests which are more important to them than the well-being of the park.”

Recently Mr Fenten spoke out against the national park after it released its draft housing policy for consultation. He argued, unsuccessfully, that Long Preston, in particular, should be taken out of the equation because land earmarked for potential housing was on an unsuitable site.

He said he felt he had let the public down when he failed to be heard.

“The Craven Herald reported in April how uncomfortable I felt, particularly about the authority’s approach to housing, which is far too narrow,” he said.

“No amount of new housing, affordable or otherwise, will keep our Dales communities alive – and will certainly do little to conserve and enhance the landscape – unless we spend at least an equal amount of energy, officers’ time and money on finding ways of bringing together businesses, county and district councils and other partners to look across the national park boundaries and see how we can use our beautiful landscapes to bring to this area jobs which are in tune with the Dales, not work against them.

“In the end, I felt that putting so much energy and time into my work for the authority was not yielding much result. With a heavy heart, I therefore decided not to go for another four years but try to find other ways of supporting communities.”

Mr Fenten has been outspoken when landscape was threatened, in particular the destruction of green lanes by off-road vehicles and motorbikes. He has often been the first at planning meetings to defend communities against unsympathetic applications.

Mr Fenten, who remains a parish councillor and chairman of Horton-in-Ribblesdale Parish Council, says his future focus will remain firmly in the Dales and he will continue to fight for a sustainable landscape and sustainable energy.

Carl Lis, chairman of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, said he would miss Mr Fenten’s presence and contributions.

“Wilf has given long, loyal service to the national park which will be missed. He has always been a huge supporter of the Dales with a genuine passion for the environment and very definite opinions of what he believes to be best for the district,” he said.