As work gets underway on preparing the new North Yorkshire Local Plan, the recently formed North Yorkshire Council is due to announce a Call for Sites early this year.

The new plan will cover the former Borough/District Councils, including Hambleton, Richmondshire, Craven, Harrogate, Selby, Ryedale and Scarborough. Until the new plan is adopted, the current Local Plans will remain in force.

The ambitious target is to have the new plan adopted by 2029.

At this early stage, it is unclear how the North Yorkshire Council will approach their spatial development strategy, including the settlement hierarchy and approach to windfall development. The current plans in force all differ in their approach, so bringing together a single strategy will undoubtedly bring with it opportunities and challenges.

The Council has acknowledged that this will be a significant undertaking and has signaled to landowners, developers and promoters that they will have to “work harder” to show sites are deliverable and developable.

The ever-growing list of requirements, including biodiversity net gain, energy efficient builds, the need for ‘beautiful’ homes and buildings, and undoubted changes to national policy and guidance along the way, will certainly make it an interesting 5+ years. However, the first thing to do will be to engage with the Call for Sites process. This needs to be done irrespective of whether sites have previously been submitted.

In order to provide a steer as to the current Local Plans’ spatial strategies, we have included details of the settlement hierarchies for each of the former Borough/District Council below. These will not necessarily translate through the final spatial strategy and settlement hierarchy for North Yorkshire, however they provide a starting point for an early assessment of future potential.

If you would like to know more, or have an initial chat, please do get in touch.

Former Hambleton Area

Market Towns
Northallerton with Romanby, Thirsk with Sowerby, Bedale with Aiskew, Easingwold, Stokesley

Service Villages
Brompton; East Cowton; Morton on Swale, Carlton Miniott; Topcliffe
Crakehall; Kirkby Fleetham; Snape; West Tanfield
Brafferton and Helperby; Huby; Husthwaite; Linton on Ouse; Stillington
Great Ayton; Great Broughton; Hutton Rudby with Rudby

Secondary Villages
Appleton Wiske; East Harlsey; Great Smeaton; West Rounton
Bagby; Borrowby; Dalton; Knayton; Pickhill; Sandhutton; Sessay; South Kilvington; South Otterington
Burneston; Leeming; Leeming Bar; Scruton; Thornton Watlass; Well
Alne; Crayke; Raskelf; Shipton; Sutton on the Forest; Tollerton
Crathorne; Ingleby Arncliffe

Small Villages
Ainderby Steeple; Danby Wiske; Deighton; East Rounton; Ellerbeck; Great Langton; Hornby; Kepwick; Low Worsall; Nether Silton(1); Over Dinsdale; Over Silton; Streetlam; Thimbleby; Thrintoft; Welbury; Yafforth
Ainderby Quernhow; Balk; Carlton Husthwaite; Catton; Cowesby; Felixkirk; Great Thirkleby; Holme; Howe; Hutton Sessay; Kilburn; Kirby Wiske; Little Thirkleby; Maunby; Newby Wiske; Sinderby; Skipton-on-Swale; Sutton under Whitestonecliffe; Thirlby; Thornton-le-Beans; Thornton-le-Moor; Thornton-le-Street; Upsall
Burrill; Carthorpe; Clifton on Yore; Exelby; Firby; Gatenby; Great Fencote; Hackforth; Kirklington; Langthorne; Little Fencote; Londonderry; Nosterfield; Sutton Howgrave; Theakston; Thirn; Thornborough
Aldwark; Alne Station; Brandsby; Farlington; Flawith; Myton-on-Swale; Newton-on-Ouse; Oulston; Skewsby; Stearsby; Tholthorpe; Thormanby; Whenby; Yearsley
Easby; Great Busby; Kirkby in Cleveland; Middleton-on-Leven; Newby; Picton; Potto; Seamer; Tame Bridge

Former Richmondshire Area

Principal Towns
Richmond
Catterick

Local Service Centre
Leyburn

Primary Service Villages
Brompton on Swale
Catterick Village
Scorton
Middleham
Barton
Melsonby
Middleton Tyas

Secondary Service Villages
Finghall-Harmby-Spennithorne cluster
Hunton
Aldbrough-Caldwell-Eppleby cluster
Dalton-Newsham-Ravensworth cluster
Gilling West
North Cowton

Elsewhere
Includes all other settlements in the countryside.

Former Harrogate Area

Main Settlements
Harrogate
Knaresborough
Ripon

Local Service Centres
Boroughbridge
Masham
Pateley Bridge.

Service Villages
Askwith, Beckwithshaw, Birstwith, Bishop Monkton, Bishop Thornton, Burton Leonard, Dacre/Dacre Banks, Darley, Dishforth, Follifoot, Glasshouses, Goldsborough, Grantley, Great Ouseburn, Green Hammerton*, Grewelthorpe, Hampsthwaite*, Huby, Kirk Hammerton, Kirkby Overblow, Kettlesing Bottom, Killinghall*, Kirby Hill, Kirkby Malzeard*, Lofthouse, Long Marston, Markington, Marton cum Grafton, North Rigton, North Stainley, Nun Monkton, Pannal*, Ripley*, Roecliffe, Sharow, Sicklinghall, Skelton on Ure, Spofforth*, Staveley, Summerbridge*, Tockwith*.

Smaller Villages
Arkendale, Baldersby, Bewerley, Burnt Yates, Brearton, Copgrove, Copt Hewick, Cowthorpe, Farnham, Galphay, Hunsingore, Kirk Deighton, Little Ouseburn, Little Ribston, Littlethorpe, Marton le Moor, Melmerby, Middlesmoor, Minskip, Rainton, Ramsgill, Sawley, Scotton, South Stainley, Studley Roger, Weeton, Whixley, Winksley.

Former Ryedale Area

Principal Towns
Malton and Norton

Local Service Centres
Pickering
Kirkbymoorside
Helmsley

Service Villages
Amotherby and Swinton, Ampleforth, Beadlam and Nawton, Hovingham, Rillington, Sherburn, Sheriff Hutton, Slingsby, Staxton and Willerby, Thornton le Dale

Other Villages

Former Scarborough Area
Scarborough Urban Area (including Scalby, Newby, Osgodby, Eastfield, Crossgates and Cayton)
Whitby (including Ruswarp)
Filey

Service Villages
Burniston
East and West Ayton
Hunmanby
Seamer
Sleights and Snainton

Rural Villages
Brompton-by-Sawdon, Cloughton, Flixton, Folkton, Gristhorpe, Lebberston, Muston, Reighton, Ruston, Sandsend, Sawdon, Speeton, Wykeham

Former Selby Area

Principal Town
Selby

Local Service Centres
Sherburn in Elmet
Tadcaster

Designated Service Villages
Appleton, Roebuck, Hambleton, Byram/Brotherton, Hemingbrough, Barlby Village/Osgodby, Kellington, Brayton, Monk Fryston/Hillam, Carlton, North Duffield, Cawood, Riccall, Church Fenton, South Milford, Eggborough/Whitley, Thorpe Willoughby, Escrick, Ulleskelf

Secondary Villages with defined Development Limits
Barlow, Hensall, Beal, Hirst Courtney, Barkston Ash, Kelfield, Biggin, Kellingley Colliery, Bilbrough, Kirk Smeaton
Birkin, Little Smeaton, Bolton Percy, Lumby, Burton Salmon, Newland, Burn, Newton Kyme, Camblesforth, Ryther, Chapel Haddlesey, Saxton, Church Fenton Airbase, Skipwith, Cliffe, South Duffield, Colton, Stillingfleet, Cridling, Stubbs Stutton, Drax, Thorganby, Fairburn, Towton, Gateforth, West Haddlesey, Great Heck, Wistow Healaugh, Womersley

Former Craven Area

Principal Town Service Centre
Skipton

Key Service Centres
High and Low Bentham
Settle

Local Service Centres
Gargrave
Glusburn and Cross Hills
Ingleton

Villages with Basic Services
Burton-in –Lonsdale, Carleton, Cononley, Cowling, Farnhill and Kildwick, Hellifield, Low Bradley, Sutton-in-Craven

Villages with Basic Services Bisected by Yorkshire Dales National Park boundary
Bolton Abbey, Clapham, Embsay, Giggleswick, Long Preston

Small villages and hamlets
Broughton, Bell Busk, Coniston Cold, Draughton, Eastby (bisected by Yorkshire Dales National Park boundary), East Marton, Halton East, Kildwick Grange, Lothersdale, Lower Westhouse, Newby, Rathmell, Stirton (bisected by Yorkshire Dales National Park boundary), Thornton-in-Craven, Tosside, West Marton and Wigglesworth