A petition signed by more than 800 people against the felling of trees in Ripon Cathedral’s £6 million expansion plans has been delivered to North Yorkshire Council.

The cathedral submitted plans in December for a two-storey structure on part of the public open space known as Minster Gardens.

It says the building is much-needed and will provide a new song school for its choir, a cafe, toilet facilities and disabled access.

But the plans also include the loss of a veteran beech tree as well as 10 other trees on the gardens which has proved controversial.

The cathedral has argued that 14 trees would be planted round the development as well as a further 300 at Studley Royal.

However to Jenni Holman, who set up the petition, this fails to compensate for the loss of the mature trees as well as part of the green space that would be built on.

The petition is still available to be signed in Karma on Kirkgate in Ripon and Ms Holman hopes more than 1,000 people will have put their names to it soon.

She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service:

Ripon Cathedral’s plans have been backed by the public body Historic England as well as the Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England.

The catherdral currently welcomes 100,000 visitors a year, which it argues could increase by 33% if the expansion went ahead.

The Dean of Ripon the Very Rev John Dobson said the tree campaigners were risking undermining a development which he believes will “hugely enhance” both the city and its cathedral.

He said:

Councillors on North Yorkshire Council’s Skipton and Ripon planning committee are expected to consider the application later this year.

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