YORKSHIRE Dales National Park bosses have launched a bid to exempt rural communities with less than 2,000 residents from the proposed changes to housing policy.

At their annual general meeting yesterday (Tuesday), authority members undertook to lobby the Government following new Right to Buy legislation which was trailed in the Queen’s Speech.

Ministers have said they want housing association tenants to be able to buy their homes at a discount and local authorities would have to sell off their most valuable council houses when they become vacant.

The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) voted in favour of a motion brought by Hawes member John Blackie to work with other national parks and 'make the Government aware of the significant threat to small rural communities that the legislation might bring'.

Mr Blackie said: “If local authorities and housing associations have to sell off their most valuable properties in rural communities such as those in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, this will only add to the crisis in affordable housing for young families in these areas.

"All the evidence suggests that it is ‘moonshine’ to think that they will be replaced one-for-one in these communities, where they are desperately needed.

“It is particularly concerning that this legislation is proposed when we have approved for publication our new Local Plan that incorporates many changes to help us address the issue of affordable housing in the National Park.”

YDNPA chairman Peter Charlesworth said: “The concerns raised by Mr Blackie were shared by national park authority members. I intend to discuss these important issues with other national park authorities and National Parks England with a view to jointly lobbying the Government to avoid a ‘one size fits all’ solution across the country to the detriment of our communities.”