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21
Jul 2020
Ripon Cathedral has taken the first step towards seeking approval for a £6 million extension of the ancient building.
If successful, plans which will be submitted to Harrogate Borough Council (HBC) following public consultation, would see the first major extension in hundreds of years, for a building containing the oldest built fabric of any English cathedral - St Wilfrid’s crypt - dating back to 672 AD.
The church attracts visitors and pilgrims from around the world and in autumn 2019, launched the Ripon Cathedral Renewed project.
Key elements of the plan are the provision of toilets. which will include Ripon’s only adult changing room; a cafe and creation of rehearsal space for Ripon Cathedral Choir, which currently rehearses in a former burial vault.
With the provision of new storage space, it is also intended that large areas within the cathedral will be opened up to the public for the first time in centuries.
He added:
The plans are part of the cathedral’s strategic vision Growing God’s Kingdom which aims to see the cathedral as a force for good, serving both the church and wider community – locally, regionally and nationally.
When the Ripon Cathedral Renewed project was launched, Dean John (pictured above), said:
He added:
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