Ripon Cathedral rejects claim about memorial gardenRipon Cathedral clergy to discuss £6m expansion plans tomorrowPeople will get the chance to ask senior clergy at Ripon Cathedral about the proposed £6 million expansion tomorrow.
The cathedral applied in December to build a two-storey annex on nearby Minster Gardens. It would include toilets, a song school, shop and cafe.
The project. known as Ripon Cathedral Renewed would involve felling 11 trees, including a veteran beech tree.
How the scheme would look.
The planning application, which can be viewed here, contains 406 documents and has received 242 comments.
North Yorkshire Council has yet to decide whether to accept the scheme.
The cathedral is launching its annual review at 10am tomorrow. In a Facebook post, it said:
“Dean John and members of chapter will give a presentation on how the cathedral has been delivering its strategy of growing God’s kingdom and progress made on Ripon Cathedral Renewed, together with time for questions.”
The veteran beech tree is pictured in the foreground.
According to the cathedral’s website, the expansion would “provide key facilities” and “enable it to host more events, exhibitions, and concerts, which will attract increased numbers of people to the city, to the benefit of all”.
Pat Waterfall, who has campaigned against the loss of trees, said:
“I will be going and, if I get the chance, will ask for clarification on the proposed tree planting. Is it 300 or as more recently reported about 60?
“Much of the planting seems to be shrubs or short-lived small trees which will in no way compensate for the loss of the existing trees let alone mitigate the huge carbon footprint of the new building.”
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Tree campaigners protest against Ripon Cathedral development plansCampaigners who have raised a petition signed by about 500 people seeking to save an ‘irreplaceable’ veteran beech tree from being felled, gathered at Ripon’s Minster Gardens yesterday.
Their petition, which will be submitted to North Yorkshire Council, objects to Ripon Cathedral’s Ripon Cathedral Renewed planning application.
The application proposes erecting a two-storey building on Minster Gardens, which would require the loss of the tree – described as T14 – and 10 other trees on site.
The petition states:
“We, the undersigned, do not approve of the felling of ancient trees on public land, to make way for the new build proposed by the cathedral. We believe there are alternative solutions, including the utilising of pre-existing buildings.”
The petition reflects concerns raised by statutory consultees including Jack Taylor, the Woodland Trust’s lead campaigner for woods under threat and North Yorkshire Council’s principal ecologist, Dan McAndrew.
In his response to the planning application, which can be seen on the council planning portal, Mr Taylor said:
“This loss of a veteran tree is contrary to both local and national planning policy and this application should be refused in its current form.”
The veteran beech tree described as T14 in documents relating to the annex planning application.
He added:
“Veteran trees are irreplaceable habitats, once lost they are gone forever. Any development resulting in loss or deterioration of veteran trees should not be taken forward.
“The Woodland Trust objects to this application on the basis of loss of a veteran beech tree and the loss and potential deterioration of other notable trees that are also likely to hold considerable value now and in the future, ecologically and culturally.
“Therefore, we request that planning permission is not taken forward for this site unless the plans can be suitably altered to avoid the loss of the veteran tree and suitably protect both retained veteran and notable trees on site.”
Mr McAndrew said in his response:
“I object to this application in its current form because I do not accept that there is no possible alternative location or configuration of the layout of the proposed building, which could avoid the loss of the veteran beech tree, T14, which I view as an unnecessary loss of ‘irreplaceable habitat’.
“In my view, it ought to be possible for the applicant to devise a solution, involving the reconfiguration of the building or its location which would enable T14 to be retained.”
The National Planning Policy Framework identifies ancient and veteran trees as ‘irreplaceable habitat’. It states development resulting in the loss or deterioration of irreplaceable habitats (such as ancient woodland and ancient or veteran trees) should be refused, unless there are wholly exceptional reasons and a suitable compensation strategy exists.
Petition organiser Jenni Holman (pictured above, front middle) said:
“The petition has been signed by local residents and some visitors to Ripon, who are totally opposed to felling of the veteran beech and other mature trees that play an essential role in the biodiversity of this area of the city.
“This is a lovely, peaceful open space and many of those that have signed find it inconceivable that this is even being contemplated.”
Fellow campaigner Pat Waterfall said:
“The loss of trees and this green space when other alternatives are available, is unacceptable.”
Response from Ripon Cathedral
A spokesperson for the Ripon Cathedral Renewed programme said:
“The planning application is going through its due process, as such we don’t respond to individual comments or objections during this process.
“What I can say is that we have investigated all available options within the cathedral estate, and none of the sites were suitable for the new building. This was the opinion of a range of external experts who specialise in heritage buildings and conservation as well as architects and project management experts. The needs of all internal and external users of the proposed new building cannot be met by using any other existing chapter property and all cathedral property is currently being used to its maximum capacity.
“As we’ve previously said, the building will be an asset to the people of the city, providing much needed facilities, including a safe space for our choristers to rehearse that is fully accessible, along with public toilet facilities (including a new Changing Places toilet, suitable for those who struggle to use standard accessible toilets).
“While we understand that some people may see the loss of 11 trees as too heavy a price to pay, the development will tidy up an unloved part of the city, increase the amount of public open space and enhance the existing much-valued memorial garden. The plans we’ve submitted also include the planting of 14 new trees around the cathedral, along with a further 300 trees on land made available by a supporter of the project and will see an overall increase in biodiversity across the area.”
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City councillors support the principle of £6m Ripon Cathedral developmentCity councillors have given their support in principle to Ripon Cathedral’s proposed £6 million standalone development on land to the north of the ancient building.
Members at Monday’s full meeting voted unanimously to support a proposal from leader Cllr Andrew Williams saying the council is in favour of the general principle of the development but is opposed to the closure of Minster Road.
The vote was taken following a presentation of the plans by the Dean of Ripon, the Very Revd. John Dobson and Colin Little, chair of the Ripon Cathedral Renewed Steering Group.
Ripon City Council is opposed to the closure of Minster Road as part of the development proposals.
In addition to their presentation, a model showing the planned development was available for councillors to see.
Dean John told the meeting:
“We have had a tremendous year with in excess of 100,000 people visiting the cathedral.”
He said attracting large numbers of visitors was beneficial to the wider Ripon economy, but also highlighted the need for the provision of modern facilities.
Dean John said:
“We have been looking for a solution to give the cathedral what it needs and this includes new toilets, new facilities for the choir, a gift shop larger than the one we currently have, a refectory and more storage space.”
Mr Little said the proposed cloistered two-storey stone building on Minster Gardens would be in keeping with neighbouring buildings in the conservation area and the development would include extensive landscaping that would increase the amount of public open space.
Cllr Williams said:
“We will be looking at the finer detail when the planning application is submitted, but the city council supports the general principle of this development, with the exception of the proposed closure of Minster Road, which we cannot agree with because diverting traffic elsewhere would cause many problems.”
He added:
“The cathedral draws in tens of thousands of visitors a year to Ripon and it should have decent toilets and other facilities to serve their needs.”
Should planning permission be granted, the building would include the city centre’s first Changing Places toilet facility for use by disabled people.
Cllr Pauline McHardy said:
“I am very excited about these plans. Our ancient city with its beautiful cathedral must move forward and the addition of facilities that make it more accessible to disabled people are most welcome.”
New £6m plans to extend Ripon Cathedral facilities proposedPlans for a £6million extension to the south side of Ripon Cathedral’s west-facing frontage are on hold and alternative proposals have been put on public display.
The Ripon Cathedral Renewed Project, which aims to provide 21st century facilities for the cathedral’s parishioners, choristers, the wider community and an ever-increasing number of visitors, already has £4 million in pledges.
But it needs to secure a further £2 million if ambitions are to be achieved.
Signs at the exhibition, being held in the north transept, explain that the alternative plan has been brought forward after reservations were expressed about the previously proposed extension
The new plan, captured in this artist’s impression, involves creating new indoor and outdoor space.
Proposals involve a standalone two-storey development to the north of the iconic building on an area of land that also houses the Old Courthouse Museum and the Royal British Legion Garden of Remembrance.
Proposal to close Minster Road to through traffic
They also include the suggested closure of Minster Road to through traffic, to provide a safe link for pedestrians and people in wheelchairs or families with prams and buggies, to move between the cathedral and the new building.
The proposal includes the provision of pedestrian-friendly links between the cathedral and the new building and into the Cathedral Car Park.
The community consultation aims to gauge views on the design of the new building, landscaping of the site and the Minster Road proposal.
Approval required at every level
A message from the Dean of Ripon, the Very Revd. John Dobson, thanks donors who have already pledged support to the Ripon Renewed Project and adds that the bid to make the vision a reality is ‘nearer than ever before.’
He points out that in addition to obtaining further financial pledges:
“We need plans that will attract approval at every level.”
The wooden model on display shows the new two-storey building to the right and its relationship to the cathedral.
The new building would incorporate indoor toilets, including a Changing Places toilet for disabled people, a café/refreshment area, improved shop, meeting room, new facilities for the choir school and additional storage capacity to take the pressure off use of space in the cathedral.
A national treasure
When the Ripon Renewed project that was announced Dean John, said:
“It is clear that the development of the cathedral is vital to bring this national treasure into the 21st century.
“As custodians of this fantastic building we are only too aware of the legacy we uphold. We have this ancient history, this wonderful architecture – what we haven’t got are the facilities that people need.
“Each generation has, over 13 centuries, taken on what has been handed to it and made its own contributions. We take none of this for granted and we have a responsibility, in our generation, to make our contribution now.”
The site for the proposed new building, is to the right of the Old Courthouse Museum and adjacent to the Royal British Legion Garden of Remembrance
Serving future communities
He added:
“Over the last few years it has become increasingly obvious to a growing number of people that the development of Ripon Cathedral is vital as we seek to serve the communities of the region now and in the future.”
The community consultation will help to shape a formal planning application that will be submitted to Harrogate Borough Council and people who go to view the plans, are asked by Dean John to fill out a short questionnaire available at the exhibition.
If successful, plans would see the first major development in hundreds of years of the cathedral’s facilities, for a building containing the oldest built fabric of any English cathedral – St Wilfrid’s Crypt – dating back to 672 AD.