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03
Mar
Cathedral plans will 'enhance' Ripon
This is the second part of an interview with the Very Revd John Dobson, the Dean of Ripon Cathedral. You can read part one here.
When Ripon Cathedral began considering land near the toilet block on Minster Gardens for its new building, a visiting officer from Historic England said in 2020 “we think you’ve found the answer”.
He even suggested planning permission could be secured by Christmas.
There was wider talk of a cathedral quarter and of closing the road outside the cathedral to traffic. Dean John talks favourably about the road being redesigned and calmed to become a shared space for vehicles and pedestrians, similar to the area outside Durham Cathedral. but it is not on the agenda now.
Historic England had rejected plans for a south side building so its warm words were encouraging. After two years developing ideas, the Minster Garden plans were unveiled at an exhibition that included a model of the proposed annexe, which has remained in the cathedral ever since.
The planning application was submitted in 2022 and Dean John says the initial response appeared favourable. But storm clouds were brewing. He says:
42% more green space
A computer generated image of how the annex would look.
The impact on trade, and the loss of the beech tree and public space have become the main bones of contention. The size of the annexe has also raised concerns.
Dean John says 21% of Minster Gardens — alongside the current toilet block — would be lost under the current plans:
He adds the scheme would create new public gardens at back of the stonemason’s yard, meaning the amount of public green space would actually increase by 42% — something he says many people don't realise:
Dean John acknowledges some people won't accept the loss of any trees — and that this view may prevail — but adds:
The mitigation plans include planting 21 trees around the cathedral, including six mature specimens. A private individual has indicated they are willing to plant another 300 trees on their land. Some campaigners say these trees should be publicly accessible to offset the loss of trees on Minster Gardens. Dean John says he doesn't understand this argument and that the private landowner deserves to remain private:
'It would help Ripon flourish'
The estimated cost of the annexe has risen from £6 million to £8 million in recent months, which reflects rising costs but Dean John says both figures are loose estimates because the scale of the final project remains unknown.
The cathedral would also have to buy land from North Yorkshire Council and no sum has been agreed. Is the dean confident of securing funds? He says:
Dean John Dobson
He says he's "perplexed by those people who have said there has been no consultation" given how long the issue has been rumbling, adding:
He says the south side proposal would have involved removing at least 600 burials and "we would have had trouble with that" even though the initial response also seemed favourable then.
Similar new facilities at Lincoln Cathedral and Carlisle Cathedral are "doing brilliantly" for the church and the wider cities, he says:
Lies and mistruths
He says some people "have worked very hard to create a different narrative" and a few have been "quite intimidating" to cathedral staff and volunteers. He adds:
He insists there is a way forward and the cathedral is not impervious to change:
Having spent years examining the options, Dean John is familiar with the arguments put forward. He says:
Breaking the impasse
The view from Minster Gardens.
Despite the impasse, the dean hopes the pause will lead to progress:
He encourages residents to have their say.
Dean John often buys sandwiches from a trader nearby who opposes the scheme. He says:
The route forward appears uncertain and a quick resolution seems unlikely. Is Dean John confident the scheme will eventually go ahead?
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