PARISH councillors are to investigate the need for affordable housing in their area.

The decision was taken by Tanfield Parish Council following an address by Amanda Madden, rural housing enabler at Hambleton District Council.

Local builder John Moxon told the parish council that the situation concerning affordable housing had not been helped by a policy, introduced by the district council in the early 1990s, to restrict the number of homes built across the district. He said small sites within development limits were being rejected while a scheme for 70 homes by a leading developer in Thirsk had been approved. He said: "There is a big conflict."

David Webster, who represents Tanfield and sits on the district council development control committee, said numbers of new homes were decided by the Yorkshire and Humber regional assembly and divided among districts.