The government has been accused of “bullying” councils and communities over housing targets after councillors said they felt they had no choice but to approve almost 100 homes in a village near Ripon.

Members of the Skipton and Ripon area planning committee today (June 2) approved an outline application for up to 98 homes on the edge of Dishforth.

The plans were submitted by Caddick Land Limited and TJ Swiers for land off Topcliffe Road.

The committee took the decision despite widespread opposition from local residents.

Around 30 members of the public attended the meeting at Ripon Town Hall.

Councillors were told the village had grown significantly in recent years and the local infrastructure was already strained, with limited services in the village, several classes full at the village primary school, poor public transport and no space at local dentists.

The meeting also heard that Yorkshire Water had objected to the application because the sewage system did not have the capacity for extra housing.

'Someone has to make a stand'

A spokesperson for Dishforth Residents Group told the meeting the application was in contradiction to planning policies,

These included the site being outside the development limits identified in the local plan and being on agricultural land graded as ‘best and most versatile’.

But the meeting heard that North Yorkshire was unable to meet its government targets of having a five-year land supply for new housing, which tipped the balance further in favour of approval.

In response, Councillor Nick Brown called on the committee to reject the application, saying the housing targets were “unrealistic”.

He said:

“Someone has to make a stand and I propose we refuse this application for very sound reasons.

“These opportunistic applications should be stopped at some stage.”

Councillor Robert Heseltine agreed with his Conservative colleague and urged the committee to reject the application.

He said:

“Local democracy in Dishforth from today, if we don’t make a stand against the bullies in Westminster, is dead.

“One thing I’ve learnt in my 81 years on earth is you stand up to bullies because if you don’t stand up to bullies, they grind you into the ground.”

Appeal fears

But confirming he would be voting in favour of the application, chair of the committee, Councillor Nathan Hull, said:

“I don’t like anything about this application.

“I really feel that Dishforth is not the right place for this housing, but I can’t see that I can vote against it.”

Other councillors said they too were reluctantly voting in favour, with the meeting hearing that the applicant was likely to be successfully appeal, if the plans were rejected.

Councillor Andy Brown said he was concerned that this would leave the village in a worse position as the planning inspector would decide the conditions, rather than North Yorkshire Council planning officers.

Councillors were told that while Yorkshire Water had lodged an objection, it would still have a statutory duty to provide adequate sewage facilities if the application was approved.

Officers advised that a condition would be attached to the application to ensure that the sewage system was upgraded before homes were built.