Holiday park chalets set to be built in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales are now likely to be put up in a different location to protect an ancient historical settlement.

Yorkshire Dales National Park officers are recommending that 15 chalets are allowed in the Long Ashes caravan park at Threshfield near Skipton.

But planners and the landowner have agreed three of the buildings should be built elsewhere on the site to protect the remains of an Iron Age village.

The original application was for 16 chalets, but Long Ashes owners had agreed to remove one altogether to protect the site, said a YDNP spokesman.

Planning permission for 20 chalets was given in 1982 but only four were installed in the park, which has 280 static vans and space for 100 tourers.

The YDNP spokesman said: "Following the original permission significant archaeological remains were found on the site.

"These were the remains of an Iron Age settlement.

"While the majority of the remains would be undisturbed by the chalets, some of the remains to the north would be destroyed by outlying chalets.

"The amended layout will clearly avoid such damage and is a clear conservation gain.''

Officers were also recommending that the occupancy agreement was revised to allow the permanent caravans and chalets to be occupied for 11 months in a year, instead of the present 12-week period in any one year.

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