Residents call for review of national park HQ plan

Residents opposed to plans to build a new headquarters for a national park authority have written to the government to demand a review of the scheme.

The North York Moors National Park Authority (NYMNPA) was granted permission for the new building in Helmsley last month by North Yorkshire Council.

However, members of the Riccal Drive Residents Group claim the council failed to follow key road safety features of the Helmsley Town Plan when assessing the development.

They have also suggested there was a potential of conflict of interest as a case officer dealing with the application had previously worked for the NYMNPA. North Yorkshire Council declined to comment on the letter.

The national park authority was given the go-ahead to build its new headquarters outside the national park, despite local residents claiming the development would harm their community.

The facility is set to be built off Riccal Drive, on land designated for employment.

In the letter sent to the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government officials campaigners have asked them to examine why a housing estate approved by the former Ryedale District Council in 2018 and the headquarters scheme were passed despite a consultants' report proposing safety measures for any future developments in the area.

The residents said the report recommended the separation of residential and employment traffic and road layouts to avoid any houses having driveway access to a mixed-use road, which has not now happened.

A spokesperson for the group told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "The council is incapable of marking its own homework and there is an urgent need for an independent review of the planning department, and the impact of successive judgements on the people of Helmsley.

"The adopted Helmsley Town Plan has not been followed when making major planning decisions."

The National Park has said it remains committed to "being a good neighbour".

Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.