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25
Sept 2023
The Dean of Ripon has said plans to remove trees from Minster Gardens to make way for a new £6 million cathedral building presented a "moral dilemma".
The Very Revd. John Dobson presented the cathedral's annual review on Saturday.
It addressed plans to fell 11 trees, including a beech listed by the Woodland Trust as having veteran status, to create space for a two-storey building on the gardens to the north of the ancient building.
The proposed annex development, which includes a song school, refectory, accessible toilets, shop and additional storage space, is part of the Ripon Cathedral Renewed project which aims to safeguard the future of the cathedral.
The Dean said all possible options for the location of the annex had been considered.
In a leaflet given to parishioners and members of the public who attended on Saturday, Dean John said:
He added:
Jenni Holman, who has raised a petition signed by 1,400 people opposing the removal of trees to make way for the annex, said:
As part of its mitigation strategy, the cathedral proposes to plant 300 native trees on land near Studley, but fellow objector Pat Waterfall questioned:
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