(Image: YDNPA.)
Traditional farms are disappearing from Yorkshire Dales villages as farmers face complaints from residents about the noise of cattle, a councillor has warned.
National park authority member Allen Kirkbride said farming within village boundaries had become increasingly difficult, with complaints about cows bellowing and calves calling among the problems faced by agricultural businesses.
His comments came as members of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority's planning committee approved plans for a new cattle building in open countryside near Kelleth, in the north-west corner of the national park near Penrith, despite objections about its impact on the landscape.
The location of the proposed agricultural building near Kelleth in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. (Image: Image submitted with planning application.)
Cllr Kirkbride, who farms in Askrigg in Wensleydale, said the changing character of rural communities was making it harder for farmers to continue operating from traditional villages.
He said at the meeting in Bainbridge on Tuesday: “We farm in a village, and the last thing you want these days is to be farming in the middle of a village.
“If you go through most villages in the Dales, there are very few farms left within the village boundaries.
“We get complaints, mainly about cows bawling or calves bawling. That's the sort of thing people complain about.
“Most farms have moved out of villages because people have moved in who aren't particularly used to country life and the noises that come with it. That's why we get so many complaints.”
The remarks were made during a debate over an application by farmer Stephen Tunstall to build a new livestock building on land west of Waingap Lane, between Kelleth, Raisbeck and Gaisgill.
The building, measuring 36.5 metres long and 18.2 metres wide, will be used to house cattle as part of an expansion of the farming business based at Townfoot Farm, Longdale, approximately two miles away.
The development will include a concrete apron and underground slurry storage facilities.
Planning documents state that the farm currently has a dairy herd of around 110 cows, with a similar number of younger animals.
The new building will allow the business to diversify into beef production while retaining its existing dairy operation at Townfoot Farm.
However, Orton Parish Council objected to the plans, arguing that the development would be highly visible in an otherwise largely undeveloped landscape.
The parish council said the site was on a prominent ridge and could be seen from the B6261, Orton Scar Beacon and the village of Raisbeck.
It argued that another large agricultural building would compound the visual impact of an existing storage building on the site, which was approved in 2021.
The parish council said it was generally supportive of agricultural developments but believed the new building should be located closer to the existing farmstead.
Friends of the Dales also objected, describing the proposal as a large and intrusive development in open countryside.
Planning officers acknowledged that the new building would harm the character of the landscape because of its prominent position.
However, they concluded that the impact would be reduced by its location alongside an existing agricultural building and a landscaping scheme involving extensive tree planting.
The applicant also agreed to use darker roofing materials and timber boarding to make the building less prominent.
Councillor Yvonne Peacock supported Cllr Kirkbride's proposal to approve the application, adding: “I'm so pleased with this application because we have someone farming our land and this is what is so important.”
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Officers said alternative locations closer to Townfoot Farm had been investigated but were unsuitable because of flooding risks, proximity to homes, operational difficulties and other constraints.
They concluded that the development would support the growth and long-term viability of the farming business.
Although the applicant had proposed housing up to 150 cattle, officers recommended restricting numbers to a maximum of 80 per cycle because of potential ammonia emissions affecting protected wildlife sites.