AN MP has slammed those who are against the building of affordable homes in rural North Yorkshire.

Rishi Sunak MP for Richmondshire said whenever proposals were being put forward for new and affordable homes to be built, oppositions groups were quick to ‘mobilise.’

Mr Sunak said young people, from the area, who want to buy new homes in countryside were being put off.

He said: “I receive so much correspondence from people about planning and I never hear from the people who want more homes – I only hear from the people who want to stop homes being built."

Mr Sunak said there was a need to provide affordable housing for young people who want to live in rural parts of the county.

He said: “We need to find sites – housebuilders want to build, councils want to build and the Government is encouraging them to do so.

“The problem is, finding places to do so where the local people already living there say, yes, build more homes near mine.”

Mr Sunak acknowledged residents’ concerns over new developments, but said it was the “only solution” to solve the challenge.

“We have to protect the landscape, we have to protect our environmental heritage but the parks also have to be living, breathing communities and they can only be that if there are places for people to live.

“The only solution to the affordable housing challenge in rural areas is to increase the supply, to build more homes.”

The MP said that as soon as proposals are submitted, letters of objections “flood” councillors emails.

He added: “The last thing I want to hear from young people with skills and enterprise is that I can’t live here, homes are too expensive and I’m going to have to leave where I grew up and the place I love to live somewhere else.”

Earlier this month, Richmondshire District Council launched the idea of an action plan to attract younger people to countryside living.

The local authority agreed to add £20,000 to get the plan started.

Council leader councillor Yvonne Peacock said: “It is about attracting families to our districts as well as keeping them. We will be looking at community led and self build housing, improving digital communications and strengthening services in the main Dales settlements.”