HUTTON Rudby councillors who want more affordable homes have helped shape Hambleton Council's new planning guidelines.

Rudby Parish Council believes building firms are failing to provide affordable homes in villages because planning rules are weak. It expressed annoyance when executive houses were built at Enterpen Mews because it had earmarked the former builder's yard for starter homes.

However, it has been told that Hambleton Council was changing an element of planning policy in line with its wishes.

District Coun Ian Grieves said a special meeting was called by Hambleton Council to discuss the changes.

"One element of the discussion regarded affordable housing, which has been put forward by Rudby Parish Council," he announced. "Changes have been made as a result of the proposal from Hutton Rudby and from new Countryside Agency policies. This now means that builders who are considering small developments of three houses will have to look at affordable housing."

This week, senior planning officer Rosemary Kidd confirmed planning guidelines were being sharpened up.

"Our planning department has reviewed housing policy over the last year and reported back to the cabinet. I know Hutton Rudby has been looking for affordable home sites and has expressed its ideas, too. The Government has changed threshold levels for affordable housing, which means the housing needs of all villages should be considered.

"We have been fairly successful with one or two schemes in towns like Northallerton, but this change means the housing needs of all villages have to be considered.

"In the past, we have identified exception sites which have been bought by housing associations. These sites are outside normal development limits, but planning guidelines mean they can be used for affordable homes, if there is a need.

"The Wickets development at Hutton Rudby is an example of an exception site."

Rudby Parish Council has also been asking whether legislation is needed to prevent adjoining cottages being knocked into one. The question was raised after a resident applied for permission to combine two cottages at South Side.

The parish council asked William Hague MP whether a new law was needed, but he felt it was unnecessary.

However, some councillors believed such alterations reduced the overall choice of village housing, heightened property prices and excluded those on lower incomes.

They were amazed to learn there were no controls preventing such conversions, although planning regulations controlled the external appearance and safety of buildings.

Mrs Kidd said: "Knocking two properties into one does not require planning permission. It does requires building regulation approval.