A WENSLEYDALE couple who have been fighting since January for permission to convert a barn into a family home have won an important victory.

David Winspear and Sharon Spensely were rebuffed twice by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, despite saying property prices had been driven higher than they can afford.

They said converting the barn at Cams Houses was their only hope if they were to stay in the area.

When a revised application was referred back to the authority's planning committee on Tuesday, it was approved by a single vote.

However, the decision goes against the national park's policies and will, therefore, have to be debated by a full meeting of the authority next month.

If the decision is upheld it will be referred to the Secretary of State.

After Tuesday's decision, national park authority chairman, Steve Macar, said: "The problem we have is that this authority has to act lawfully. The monitoring officer has indicated that this might not be the case.

"The authority cannot ignore these concerns. In fact, it is bound by law to hear his statutory report, debate it and then come to a final decision."

But Wensleydale councillor John Blackie, who has led the campaign for the Cams House scheme to be approved, was delighted with the committee's decision.

"There were some very, very measured contributions to the debate, which was calmly and sensibly conducted, and the vote came out in favour of the application for the second time," Coun Blackie said.