RURAL communities have been hit with a “stab in the back” after a change in Government policy means there could be fewer affordable homes built in Richmondshire.

The policy change will raise the threshold after which developers must contribute financially towards affordable housing – despite a current campaign battling to retain young families in the Dales who can’t afford to live there.

Leader of Richmondshire District Council Cllr John Blackie said the move will “line the pockets” of developers and landowners at the expense of a viable future for many rural families.

He said: “This will have serious consequences on the council’s ability to deliver affordable housing targets.

“It’s a stab in the back for those who have the best interests of the future of rural and deeply rural communities at heart, and retaining the essential ingredient of young people and young families within them to maintain their long-term viability.”

Historically Richmondshire District Council operated a threshold system only requiring developer contributions towards affordable homes on sites of ten homes or more.

But the system was identified as a barrier to new affordable homes in the authority’s new core housing strategy so it introduced a contribution for all sites, even if only one home is built.

There will now be no contributions given on development sites of ten or less homes in urban areas and five homes in designated rural areas, including National Parks.

At a district council meeting on Tuesday, Cllr Blackie proposed that the authority work through the Local Government Association (LGA) in partnership with other local authorities, National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) to persuade government to reverse the new policy.

It was agreed by a majority of members who reiterated the setback to the provision of affordable housing generally and the problem if retaining young families in the Dales.

Cllr Blackie added: “While this is predominantly a rural issue, certainly Richmond and the other 10 unit threshold communities in the district are also at risk, as many of the sites coming forward there are likely to be less than this number, or indeed phased to avoid it."

Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority chairman Peter Charlesworth said: “We are extremely frustrated that the government has not granted an exemption for remote rural areas.

“Even this lower threshold is likely to more than halve the number of affordable homes built in the National Park – homes that are essential to the long-term viability of local communities.”