The body responsible for enforcing conservation of the North York Moors landscapes and heritage has defended its plans to build a multi-million pound new headquarters on a greenfield site outside the national park in Helmsley.
An overwhelming majority of the North York Moors National Park Authority (NYMNPA) members supported plans for the new HQ earlier this summer.
However, at a meeting on Monday (September 23), continued concerns were raised about transparency surrounding the costs of the scheme.
A member of the authority, Jane Harper, asked an officer: “Could we just know what we have spent on this so far so we know what this [spending] will be in addition to?”
Officers said they would provide the information but that they did not want to have an “ongoing debate in the public arena”.
An officer added that “when it comes to members making a final decision it will come to you in a public meeting with the costs”.
Later in the meeting, another member, Christine Robertson, said: “I tend to lean towards Jane’s point that we are presented with a paper about a financial decision and given no supporting figures upon which to make that decision, and I find that an uncomfortable position to be asked to do that.”
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