PLANNERS are jeopardising farm diversification by holding up farmers' applications.

An NFU report reveals an abysmal performance in a North Yorkshire planning office. at the very time that councils in the county have pledged support for a new guide to farm diversification.

Some types of development are suffering worse delays than others. Proposals for holiday accommodation take on average about eight months, more than twice as long as any other diversification scheme.

NFU regional technical adviser, Mr David Collier, the author of the report, said: "Nationally, two-thirds of all planning applications are decided within the statutory eight-week period. In Harrogate district, where the NFU survey was done, less than a quarter of applications for diversification schemes were decided within eight weeks, and the average period was 21 weeks.

"Plans to convert buildings to form holiday cottages are taking an unacceptable eight months to decide."

The survey revealed disparities within the district, with the council's performance ranging from disappointing to deplorable. A farmer within Harrogate council's area 1 can expect to wait on average 18 weeks; in area 2, 21 weeks, and in area 3, 24 weeks.

The survey data exclude applications that were withdrawn (in one case this happened after ten weeks of wrangling), or where legal agreements were still being worked on. An application submitted on July 1 1999 was still awaiting completion of such an agreement on October 4, 2000, more than 15 months later.

Mr Collier said: "These unacceptable delays are not merely holding up development and causing stress to farmers wishing to diversify, they threaten to destroy any hope of obtaining a grant to make the development affordable. This means that, by the time Harrogate council's planners have approved the project, the approval could be worthless."

Both European-funded grant schemes - such as the farm diversification and farm tourism initiatives - and the government's redundant building grants scheme impose strict time limits for obtaining planning approval.

The NFU has sent a copy of its findings to the council and is looking for assurances that the service will improve.

It is also calling for an independent investigation to look into the reasons for the extraordinarily poor performance and is sending the report to interested organisations such as the Countryside Agency, MAFF, the Yorkshire Tourist Board and Yorkshire Forward.

"All these organisations take an interest in the diversification of farm businesses," said Mr Collier, "and I am sure they will share our dismay at these disturbing findings.