The chair of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) has written to the leader of North Yorkshire Council (NYC) after being told that home-to-school transport changes were prompting Dales families to consider moving.

The move by park authority chair Derek Twine came after it was claimed the controversial change could conflict with his authority’s own five-year management plan to promote access to services and help young families stay in the area.

A recent meeting of YDNPA’s parish forum heard from concerned parish councillors unhappy with NYC’s new policy of only offering free home-to school transport to a child’s nearest school.

At the meeting, YDNPA member Yvonne Peacock, who is also a senior councillor at Tory-controlled NYC, described the policy as “a mess”.

She said: “I totally and utterly disagree with the policy, and I did everything I possibly could prior to July to try and stop it.

“I’ve since been working to stop it ever since or at least find some way around it.

“Personally, I think it’s a mess.”

Councillor Beverley Rutter, a parent and vice-chair of Reeth, Fremington and Healaugh Parish Council, told the meeting: “Our main concerns are the roads.

“We’ve asked them to look at it and they won’t entertain doing risk assessments until children have applied for schools.”

Cllr Rutter suggested the change in policy was in conflict with the YDNPA’s five-year management plan.

Among the aims of the plan is to retain access to services such as primary schools and promote the national park as a place to live for younger, working age households (18-44 years) to help halt the decline in their numbers.

She said parents had been quoted around £1,000 a year if they did want to take their child to school themselves.

She added: “A lot of parents are now questioning should they be moving so they can get a place at Richmond School or the school they wish.

“It’s just another nail in the coffin for the areas around here and for young people.”

The council was invited to send an officer to the meeting to discuss the concern but declined.

Instead, a written response was received by Amanda Newbold, assistant director for education and skills.

She said: “The council has a number of duties in relation to education including the provision of funded travel assistance to school for eligible children.

“Following an update to the Education Department’s guidance, the council’s policy was reviewed and a number of changes made.

“All changes are aligned to the council’s statutory duties.”

Mr Twine wrote to NYC leader Cllr Carl Les about the issues raised at the meeting.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Twine said: “There was a realisation within the parish forum that the national park authority was not the body that makes decision with regard to local transport or indeed school transport.

“But members of the different (parish) councils were adamant that we represent to North Yorkshire Council their extreme concerns about the impact of the policy, which include the financial and safeguarding challenges, as they saw it.”

Cllr Les said he was grateful to Mr Twine for raising the concerns which he said the authority would consider.