An ARC News Service report
Without the evidence of livestock on the Howesyke Estate the application for a rural worker’s dwelling at Kidstones Gill Bridge in Bishopdale was a sham, Alastair Dinsdale, Wensleydale farmer and chair of the Association of Rural Communities, told the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority‘s ( YDNPA ) planning committee on November 26.
The majority of the members, however, voted to approve the provision of a three-bedroomed rural worker’s dwelling with an integral garage at Kidstones Gill Bridge. The planning officer explained that this was part of the Howesyke Estate owned by Rob and Helen Brown. She said the livestock at Kidstones Bridge amounted to 200 breeding ewes, 20 suckler cows and, at present, 40 turkeys for the Christmas trade.
Mr Dinsdale told the committee there was no evidence that the Howesyke Estate owned any breeding ewes or suckler cows. He added that in the report of the independent agricultural advisor commissioned by the YDNPA there was a disclaimer that the number of livestock had been provided by the applicants and had not been verified. [Before the meeting an objector had asked the planning department for detailed information about the number of livestock owned by the Howesyke Estate but received no reply.]
He said, ‘Without this evidence this application is a sham. If the committee give[s] approval without evidence of the suckler cows and lambing sheep farming enterprise then they are granting permission for two luxury houses [one at Howesyke] in the open countryside for 40 Christmas turkeys.’
The planning officer reminded the committee that at its meeting in October it had approved an application by the Browns which was subject to a legal agreement being signed rescinding their right to develop two-semi detached rural workers’ dwellings at Howesyke for which they were granted permission in 2017.
She said: ‘The applicant’s intention is to retain their right to build two new rural workers dwellings. One of these would be at Howesyke, and one would be re-located to Kidstones Gill Bridge.’
She reported that the independent agricultural advisor had taken account of the fact that the functional need is much reduced because of the reliance on adjoining farmers providing livestock care.
She said: ’The conclusion is that there is still a significant functional need in relation to the game rearing enterprise, with intensity of need during periods or bird rearing and livestock birth. Also, that there is a need for a worker to live on site at Kidstones Gill Bridge, to deal quickly with emergencies in the interest of the wellbeing of animals, the efficient running of the holding, for overall security and as poaching deterrent.’
She added that the temporary chalet was the only available dwelling at Kidstones Gill Bridge at present.
Adrian Hume Sayer, whose family has lived and farmed in Bishopdale for over 100 years, called for the committee to dismiss the application because the Brown’s had recently bought Dale Head Farm with a house less than one mile from Kidstones Gill Bridge. ‘The development of this green field site would seem entirely contrary to the YDNPA’s first principle and to its planning policy,’ he said.
Cllr David Ireton asked if the Brown’s acquisition of Dale Head Farm with its accommodation had been taken into account when the independent agricultural advisor had assessed the need for a dwelling.
The Head of Development Management Richard Graham replied: ‘No, that wasn’t taken into account either in this report or the agricultural advisor’s assessment. If members are not happy with that we can go back to our agricultural consultant to look at it in the light of that additional purchase.’ The committee voted against deferral by nine votes to seven.
Mr Hume Sayer also told the committee that the Brown’s continued stream of development and intensively commercial shooting business was having a significant negative impact on the environment and residents turned to the YDNPA to protect it. ‘Parishioners have raised significant concerns about the environmental impact of this plan and the Browns’ wider operation… such as noise on shoot days,’ he explained.
He was concerned about the impact upon the dark skies policy as it was planned to orientate the new property so that it looked down the dale and so would be easily seen at night. This was not, he said, in keeping with the tradition of building in the valley.
He pointed out that at a meeting of Aysgarth and District Parish Council only three out of the seven councillors voted to support the application with the councillor for Bishopdale parish strongly opposing it. [See note 1 below]
In her statement Mrs Brown three times mentioned that Aysgarth and District Parish Council had supported the application. She said: ‘I understand that there are approximately 657 households in the parish but only a small handful have made objections.’ [Note 2]
She continued: ‘Jack, who is here today, and his partner Lauren, have worked and lived at Kidstones since 2018 both filling the functional needs of the land as acknowledged by officers and the Park’s specialist advisor. After six years living in temporary accommodation it is vital for a permanent worker’s dwelling to be constructed to keep Jack and Lauren as they are both creative contributors to the Bishopdale community.’ [Note 3]
North Yorkshire Cllr Andrew Murday commented: ‘There has been somebody living in temporary accommodation for the past six years. I feel rather sorry for them that they have had to do that, and surely they deserve to have better than that.’
When planning permission was granted in 2017 for what was a traditional farmhouse at Howesyke to be extended and two rural workers’ dwellings to be built beside it (including one for Jack Jones), the Browns had told the planning committee that they intended to live there with their children. [Note 4]
At the November meeting Mrs Brown told the committee: ‘We would love to move to Bishopdale permanently but the circumstances of Rob’s work being in Manchester we have had to put this on hold for a few years. We use Howesyke as a second home, letting the house from time to time, bringing new people to the area to spend in the local economy and enjoy the beauty of the national Park.’
North Yorkshire Cllr Yvonne Peacock pointed out that the former farmhouse was now a luxury holiday let which could sleep 18 people. She disagreed with the arrangement that the applicants would accept only having one rural worker’s dwelling built at Howesyke as long as they could have a house in the open countryside at Kidstones Gill Bridge.
‘I can’t agree to that because it was on landscape reasons that the officers recommended only building one at Howesyke and [my objection] is also on landscape reasons. You can certainly travel from Howesyke to do anything [at Kidstones Gill Bridge].
Cllr Robert Heseltine agreed with her. He told the committee: ‘This is a high end commercial tourism and wildlife shooting enterprise. The farming aspect is minimal. For nearly ten years my family farmed at Dale Head Farm and I was allocated to look after it. I had one day a week shepherding there and walling.’ He described how a farmer from West Burton had taken care of the Kidstones farm by visiting once a week.
Member and Askrigg parish councillor Allen Kirkbride said he did not feel that there was a need for a house for a rural worker at Kidstones Gill Beck. ‘Without the farming there is no need for this house on this site. There is another building available for a gamekeeper not far away,’ he said.
North Yorkshire Cllr Richard Foster, however, strongly disagreed. He stated: ‘According to our agricultural advisor…this property is needed. This other house [at Dale Head Farm] is speculative. We don’t even know if that stays in the management of these people, or if it will be sold. Anything can happen to it. It’s not part of this application.’
He pointed out that planning officers had approved similar agricultural workers’ dwellings in the open countryside in other parts of the National Park. This application, he said, would also have been dealt with by planning officers and was only brought to the committee because of the background history of Howesyke. ‘We need to forget the past history on this – we just need to move forward,’ he added.
Member Libby Bateman (Ravenstonedale Parish councillor) agreed with him. She wondered if the house would still be useful in preserving, conserving and enhancing the Yorkshire Dales National Park in the future.
‘Is it going to be a family that’s living there that’s going to be having children in the school and those children having the opportunity to grow up in the countryside, that we all enjoy, the beautiful countryside and the wellbeing that it adds to those people? So this is in compliance with the policy. It’s not about who owns it – it’s about what you leave behind and what that does to the environment and to this place in the future.’
Cllr Peacock agreed that what they were doing was not just for now but the future. ‘So we must get it right. So why not delay at this stage and get some more information?’ And she asked that, if it was approved, very strong conditions were applied. ‘Please this must never be a holiday cottage…or a second home.’
Pip’s Notes
1 – Aysgarth and District Parish Council consists of five parishes: Aysgarth (3 councillors), Thornton Rust (2 councillors), Thoralby (3 councillors), Bishopdale (1 councillor) and Newbiggin (1 councillor). It is, therefore, very easy for the councillor from parishes such as Bishopdale to be out-voted. For that reason, it was customary in the past for the views of the councillor/s from a parish affected by a planning application to be given precedence. That did not happen at the meeting of Aysgarth and District Parish Council on September 7 2023. One of three who voted in agreement with the Brown’s application for a rural worker’s dwelling at Kidstones Gill Bridge often has part time employment on the Howesyke Estate during pheasant shoots.
2 – The number of households quoted by Mrs Brown maybe for the whole of Aysgarth and District Parish Council. There are approximately 13 households in Bishopdale parish and there were seven objectors from that dale to the application.
3 – Jack Jones and a different partner were introduced by the Browns to Aysgarth and District Parish Council on September 7 2023.
4 – The plans for the 2017 application (R/58/65C) showed the semi-detached ‘staff accommodation’ situated next to the farmhouse. That area is now a large car park.
Adrian Hume-Sayer’s statement (abridged)
(A Bishopdale farming family)
The applicants acquisition of Dale Head Farm, with house less than one mile from the proposed site completely negates any demonstrable need for this green field development and I call that the application be dismissed on these grounds.
I would also like to state that the reporting of the Parish councillors vote was somewhat misleading and it should be recorded here that only 3 of the 7 councillors voted to support the scheme with the councillor for Bishopdale strongly opposing.
We all accept that change is necessary but it is the nature of the change and its consequences which the community has come together to rightfully oppose with (I believe) the vast majority of those parish households without a vested interest in the Browns’ enterprise coming together to demonstrate their opposition to this and the Brown’s continued stream of development. Their intensively commercial shooting business is having a significant negative impact on the environment in which we all live and which we turn to you to protect. Parishioners have raised significant concerns about the environmental impact of this plan and the Browns wider operation, which are well documented, such as the noise on shoot days.
A major part of the justification for this application is the ‘demonstration of need’ for there to be a rural worker on site, not only has the evidence for this has not been satisfactorily verified but importantly this application does not take into account that the owners now own another house less than a mile away from which the site could be reached on foot in a matter of minutes, something that would be expedited by the rebuilding of the Howgill footbridge.
The development of this greenfield site would seem entirely contrary the YDNPAs first principal and to its planning policy
The business needs of absentee owners should not be the main concern in considering an extraordinary development of this kind – the colossal and irreversible environmental impact should be the primary concern….
The report suggests that the present staffing level of the estate is adequate with two rural workers, so why are two workers cottages being considered bringing the number of workers houses to three across the two sites. When the original application was considered, the third house was to accommodate a farm worker but as the farming has not been taken in hand, this additional house is surplus to the stated need.
Alastair Dinsdale’s statement
Wensleydale farmer and chair of the Association of Rural Communities
I am here today to see that policies are applied consistently and fairly.
This application hinges on whether the test of policy SP3 and C3 have been met. The applicants claim to have 200 lambing sheep, 20 suckler cows and 40 turkeys. No evidence to support this has been provided. The independent report contains a disclaimer that land and livestock numbers are the applicant’s figures and have not been verified.
Yesterday when I went to check the building myself I found the building contained young dairy heifers not suckler cows.
Last night I had a phone call from the applicants’ agent asking what I was objecting to. I told him I wanted to see the planning policies applied to this applicant the same as they would be to anyone else and that I did not believe the applicants owned any cattle or sheep themselves. I asked him to provide evidence of ownership today – such as a herd register or continuous flock record. Does he have that with him? [There was no response from the agent or Mrs Brown.]
Without this evidence this application is a sham and I ask the members to be led by the local representative and to reject the application.
If the committee is minded to give approval without evidence of the suckler cows and lambing sheep farming enterprise then they are granting permission for 2 luxury houses, in open country, for 40 Christmas turkeys. If that is the precedent they wish to set then they cannot expect the local community to take their planning policy seriously.
Statement by Helen Brown (slightly abridged)
Rob and Helen Brown – applicants
We are really pleased that Alan Jackson, the Park’s independent advisor and the parish council recommend approval of this application.
As discussed at the last meeting this application ties in with the Howesyke application you as a committee approved last month. In summary this application came forward following pre-application discussions with your officers regarding the functional need for a worker’s cottage at Kidstones bridge, a stand-alone block of 700 acres and ten minutes from Howesyke. This has led to us submitting two separate applications for new properties to replace the two we had consent for – so one new house at Howesyke and one new house at Kidstones bridge where there is a confirmed functional need.
… Alan Jackson’s report confirmed that this application satisfies all the requirements for policies P3 rural worker’s housing. Jack, who is here today, and his partner Lauren, have worked and lived at Kidstones since 2018 both filling the functional needs of the land as acknowledged by officers and the Park’s specialist advisor. After six years living in temporary accommodation it is vital for a permanent worker’s dwelling to be constructed to keep Jack and Lauren as they are both creative contributors to the Bishopdale community. A new traditional looking cottage will be built in stone and slate with trees screening the site from the road which compliments Howesyke’s strong environmental objectives. It will be totally off grid using power from the hydro plant and we understand that it could be the first off grid home or certainly one of the very small number in the National Park.
We attended the parish council meeting when this application was discussed with the councillors and members of the public, some of which are present here today. And we are delighted that the parish council voted to support the application. We note that there are some objections to the application but 16 of these come from four households, the same four households, and one of these households is based in Stroud. I understand that there are approximately 657 households in the parish but only a small handful have made objections. We ask you to note the support of the parish council alongside any objections.
We fully understand and support the concept that farming needs to evolve and work in harmony with environmental protection and enhancement. We have already planted nearly 100 hectares of land with over 100,000 native trees and restored nearly 400 hectares of degraded peat moorland to benefit wildlife and water quality. Our extensive and careful management of our farmland also supports many of the threatened waders such as curlew, lapwing, redshank, snipe as well as barn owls, kestrel, merlin, and many more which are now abundant in the valley.
Following the government’s recent budget, like many farmers, we will face many financial pressures in the coming years. For one our basic payment scheme subsidy will be slashed by approximately £30,000 next year which was unforeseen. It is now more important than ever that we can move on from more extensive farming practise to be able to deliver the environmental schemes which provide the vital income stream that keeps farmers in business. We wish to continue to complete our plans, continue to invest and create even greater benefits for the area and for our children so that our farm can meet these future liabilities to allow our children to enjoy the same.
We have created full time and part time roles for many young people, won numerous environmental awards, and so fulfilling many of the national parks management plan objectives .. and contributing to the environment, the local economy, and the local community.
We would love to move to Bishopdale permanently but the circumstances of Rob’s work being in Manchester we have had to put this on hold for a few years.
We use Howesyke as a second home, letting the house out for time to time, bringing new people to the area, to spend in the local economy and enjoy the beauty of the national park. We spend a lot of time in this area and are hands on owners, farmers and employers, running the business using our skills we learnt studying agriculture at university. We have a great team working with us who, along with ourselves, contribute to the local community and have a lot of friends in Bishopdale.
Your support for this application will enable all the related elements to come together…