Key decisions this week on two of the most important blueprints for the future of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, meeting in Bainbridge, has formally adopted a set of objectives for an updated “Yorkshire Dales National Park Management Plan” for the period 2025-2030 The 40 objectives have been developed and agreed by a partnership made up of government agencies, local authorities, and representatives from rural estates, farming and tourism businesses.

The management plan will guide the work of all the organisations that operate in the National Park during the next five years. Twenty-four different organisations have lead responsibility for one or more of the objectives. At least 60 other organisations (or groups of organisations) will help support the delivery of objectives.

At the meeting, the National Park Authority also decided to submit its “Local Plan” to the Planning Inspectorate for examination. The Local Plan sets out planning policies for the National Park until 2040, including by allocating land for housing and business development and introducing a new principal residency policy to ensure new build homes are occupied by people aspiring to live permanently in the area.

The Chair of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, Derek Twine, said: “The Yorkshire Dales National Park Management Plan is a genuine partnership plan. It sets out an ambitious – but necessary – programme of work to which many local organisations have committed their support. Whilst it rightly focuses on tackling the challenges of climate change and the continuing decline in nature, it also identifies other opportunities to foster the social and economic wellbeing of local communities, by setting out objectives for more affordable housing, hyperfast broadband access, and support for viable farming businesses.

“Those same objectives are also reflected in the policies set out in the Local Plan. Our decision to submit the Local Plan for independent examination marks the end of an intensive period of preparation and consultation. We look forward to moving into an examination phase later this year, where people can make formal representations on the Local Plan.”

Mr Twine, who as Chair of the National Park Authority is also deputy chair of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Management Plan Partnership, added: “We’ve had National Park Management Plans for some time. My hope is that with each five-year review, the management plan becomes more embedded in the culture of all organisations working in the National Park.”