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Cllr Crozier who, like Cllr Parkin, was born, bred and educated in Ripon, told the Stray Ferret after the meeting:
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13
Dec 2023
Last Updated: 13/12/2023
Ripon Cathedral 'surprised' by city council opposition to £6 million development
Ripon Cathedral has expressed surprise that the city council discussed and voted on its proposed £6 million annex on Monday night.
Ripon City Council members voted 4-3, with one abstention, to withdraw support for the Minster Gardens scheme.
North Yorkshire Council will decide whether the scheme can go ahead but the city council's opposition is a blow to the plans.
In a brief statement, a cathedral spokesperson, said:
"The cathedral was surprised to learn that the subject of its planning application was discussed and voted on at the council meeting as there had been no communication with the cathedral in advance.
"We would simply point people to the helpful information about our aspirations included by the Stray Ferret in its earlier report."
The spokesperson added:
"The exact location of the annex building and the increased public green space can be viewed in a display within the cathedral. We are happy to discuss the plans with members of the public who would like to get in touch with us."
The Dean of Ripon the Very Revd John Dobson
The cathedral has been attempting for many years to find a way of providing 21st century facilities to meet the needs of churchgoers, choristers, visitors, clergy, support staff and volunteers.
The proposed annex would include a song school, refectory, shop, accessible toilets and extra storage space, housed in a two-storey, standalone building on Minster Gardens - a public open space currently owned by North Yorkshire Council.
The plans have divided opinion in Ripon. At Monday night's council meeting 10 opponents of the scheme raised concerns about the loss of 11 trees on Minster Gardens, including a veteran beech, while others spoke about the impact of an 80-seat refectory competing against nearby hospitality businesses in Kirkgate and other parts of the city.
No supporters of the development spoke at the meeting but many believe the urgent needs of the cathedral must be met to secure the ancient building's future by putting it on a sustainable financial footing.
Last December, following a pre-application presentation of the cathedral's plans to the city council, members voted to support the 'general principle' of development. But this week's vote saw the council change its stance.
Councillors Andrew Williams and Barbara Brodigan, who sit on the North Yorkshire Council Skipton and Ripon constituency planning committee, which will ultimately determine the application, absented themselves from the city council meeting and did not take part in the debate or vote on the annex plan.
On Monday, Councillor Peter Horton put forward a motion that said:
"Ripon City Council remains committed to supporting Ripon Cathedral meet its general aspirations which are set out in the planning application, we do however express our concern over the statement made by the applicant's agents that the refectory will stop the drift away of visitors to the Cathedral to nearby cafes and restaurants.
"Recognising the protected status of the veteran beech tree we can't support any proposals to remove it and call for an assessment as to whether the proposed building can be built without doing so."
That motion was defeated 4-3 with one abstention and when a motion to withdraw the council's support and object to the planning application was proposed by former mayor Cllr Eamon Parkin and seconded by Cllr Jackie Crozier, it was carried 4-3 with one abstention.
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Cllr Crozier who, like Cllr Parkin, was born, bred and educated in Ripon, told the Stray Ferret after the meeting:
"I was so impassioned by what people had to say, particularly young objectors, who are concerned about the loss of trees and the environmental and ecological damage that would cause."
She added:
"I have been speaking with many residents in the spa ward that I represent and my vote reflected the concerns that they have been expressing to me and through signing a petition.
"Most have no objection to the cathedral having better facilities, but the place where they want to put those new facilities is totally unsuitable."
Main image: More than 2,000 people have signed a petition to save the veteran beech tree.
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