The Council approved (5-page / 99KB PDF) the plan for a referendum following recommendations (15-page / 127KB PDF) by an examiner last month.
The examiner found in his report that the plan was largely in conformity with the Council’s Core Strategy and national planning policy. However he found the draft should be amended to make
sure the provision of housing for older people would not risk forfeiting more general affordable housing.
"The suggestion that developments of four houses in the local service centres should address the need for housing for older people in advance of more general affordable housing is in my view a considerable challenge," the examiner said. "I have not seen evidence to suggest that there is a greater need for housing for older people than for providing more general affordable housing."
The examiner recommended changes to the plan to better reflect national and local policy and to secure affordable housing in parishes outside Kirkby Stephen and Brough. He also recommended a small number of minor changes to clarify policy and the Council said it had amended the plan accordingly.
"The Upper Eden Valley is an area full of high quality landscapes, attractive villages and some local service centres," concluded the examiner. "The area does contain, however, evidence of some decay with a number of abandoned older traditional buildings and the remoteness of some of the area requires a particular set of planning policies to ensure that it does not lose the opportunity to be sustainable."
"This plan identifies and addresses those issues to good effect. Each draft policy has good justification both in the plan and in the Basic Conditions Statement," he said.
