AN APPEAL by a district council to try and force a national park authority to relax its attitude to the conversion of agricultural buildings for business use has been rejected.

Communities and Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles dismissed the appeal by Richmondshire District Council and North Yorkshire County Council against a planning decision by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA).

Last year the Government decided to scrap local planning controls so planning permission was no longer required for anyone wanting to change the use of agricultural buildings to certain types of commercial use like shops, banks, restaurants, offices, warehouses, hotels and sports halls.

But members of the national park authority voted to block the new policy over fears of the potential negative landscape impact.

It also argued that the policy removed the rights of local people to have their say during the planning process.

It voted in March to introduce a direction so planning permission is still required for a change of use.

Leader of Richmondshire District Council, John Blackie, also a YDNPA member, strongly opposed the ban said the park was limiting economic growth as a result.

The district council and county council asked the government to force YDNPA to cancel the direction – but Mr Pickles dismissed the request and said the authority was “particularly well placed” to decide on local planning issues.

YDNPA chairman Peter Charlesworth said: “We welcome the decision of the government to support the authority’s stance on this matter – it is a victory for localism.

“It is important to say the direction does not mean traditional barns or modern farm buildings cannot be converted to commercial uses.

“Indeed, the authority is very supportive of re-using existing buildings but we recognise some proposals still need local scrutiny.”