The sub-committee recommended the amended draft Local Plan for approval by the council's Policy Committee when it meets on December 7.

Councillor John Dawson, chairman of the sub-committee, thanked the council's Planning Policy team for all its hard work in preparing the Local Plan. "The planning policy team are working their socks off on these plans and should be congratulated," he said, adding: "We're very grateful because it is a huge task."

The council's planning policy team has considered more than 900 comments made by over 230 people in the consultation on the draft local plan, which took place in June and July 2017.

A number of changes to the plan have been made in response to the consultation, including the allocation of land to the north of Airedale Avenue and Elsey Croft and east of the railway line in Skipton, for a new primary school.

Other proposed changes include a new climate change policy, a policy on specialist housing for older people, and changes to housing numbers for Rathmell, Settle and Bentham following the closure of Rathmell primary school.

There are also a number of changes to housing site allocations in Skipton, Settle and Bentham, and the area around Skipton Woods is proposed to be designated as Local Green Space.

A further, amended report on affordable housing will also be presented to Policy Committee. The plan is then due to go before full council on December 19.

If the plan is approved by full council, it will then be published after the Christmas and New Year holidays for a further six-week consultation, seeking views on whether the plan is sound and meets the tests set out in the National Planning Policy Framework.

Following the consultation, the plan will then be submitted for examination by a Government-appointed inspector. At the Examination in Public the inspector will examine the plan, the evidence supporting it and representations received and judge whether it is sound and meets its legal requirements.

The Craven Local Plan sets out how land should be used in the future to achieve economic, environmental and social goals. Policies in a local plan will be used to decide planning applications including housing, retail and employment uses up to 2032.

For more information on the Local Plan go to the council's website: www.cravendc.gov.uk/newlocalplan