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:
“We regret the need to fell 11 trees and are sympathetic to public concern. There is a moral dilemma though which requires balancing this with urgent needs and undeniable benefits.”
“Providing 21st century facilities is not only essential, but will help to attract more visitors to the cathedral and thereby to the city.”
He added:
“Ripon Cathedral attracts 100,000 visitors per year, in addition to pilgrims, worshippers and concert goers. Experts predict that this project will result in an increase in numbers of between 30% and 50% — good news for the local economy and local businesses.”
The Dean acknowledged not everybody was in favour of the development and said:
“Some people here today will disagree with us about the felling of trees. We respect those people, but we disagree with them.”
Jenni Holman, who has raised a petition signed by 1,400 people opposing the removal of trees to make way for the annex, said:
“The loss of mature trees and impact on the wildlife that depend upon them for habitat is totally unacceptable.
“This is not about a difference of opinions, it’s something that we say is just wrong.”
As part of its mitigation strategy, the cathedral proposes to plant 300 native trees on land near Studley, but fellow objector Pat Waterfall questioned:
“How will the planting of trees outside the city mitigate for the huge carbon footprint of the new building?
Councillors on North Yorkshire Council’s Skipton and Ripon planning committee are expected to adjudicate on the application this year.
Ripon Civic Society has reiterated its objection to the proposed location of a new £6 million cathedral building.
Ripon Cathedral has submitted a planning application to Harrogate Borough Council to build a two-storey standalone annexe on the Minster Gardens site to the north of the cathedral.
The Dean of Ripon The Very Revd John Dobson has said plans to create a cathedral quarter would attract more visitors to the city and benefit the local economy.
But the society called for a rethink in August before formal plans were submitted. Now the planning application has been lodged, it has re-stated its position.
A statement from the heritage watchdog today said:
“The proposed location of a new structure to the north of Ripon Cathedral to serve as much-needed extra accommodation for the cathedral’s mission is strongly criticised by Ripon Civic Society.
“The society has long supported the cathedral’s aim to provide space for a song school, refectory, shop, toilets and storage space. The society also agrees that any new building should be to the north of the cathedral rather than the south. It cannot, however, support the intended position of the proposed new building, as set out in the latest planning application.”
Ripon Cathedral
It added:
“The cathedral’s intention is to build a two-storey structure on part of the public open space known as Minster Gardens. This is an area of grass and mature trees that has been a green space to the north of the cathedral for more than two centuries – and that in the Middle Ages was the site of the Archbishop of York’s Ripon palace. It is surrounded by important Ripon listed buildings – the Old Court House, the Old Deanery and the Courthouse Museum.
“The proposal will take up approximately half the open space and will involve the felling of at least 10 trees which currently contribute to the green nature of the site. One of the trees proposed for removal is a large beech tree in the centre of Minster Gardens, recognised as ‘entering veteran status’ and graded A1. Proposals to plant new trees elsewhere — many of them outside the city — are intended as an attempt to offset the loss of these trees.
“The site of the proposed structure, which will abut Minster Road, is currently owned by Harrogate Borough Council and will pass to North Yorkshire Council in April. It is protected as open space by policies in the Harrogate district Local Plan and in the Ripon Neighbourhood Plan.
We are, therefore, very disappointed that Ripon Cathedral has decided that it needs to take away an important open space in the city and to propose a building that will dominate the cathedral’s north side and detract from its setting, as well as affecting the setting of the nearby listed buildings and resulting in a significant loss of trees.
“This will be one of the most important interventions in the city for many years, and construction on this historically open site cannot be accepted without a fuller consultation of all interested parties in the city, and beyond, than appears to have been carried out until now.
“We have already urged the cathedral authorities, which has environmental as well as spiritual responsibilities, to build a new structure on the former Stoneyard, next to Minster Gardens. This is already in the cathedral’s ownership, and a new building sited there would be both less dominating and more able to act as a welcome entrance to the cathedral estate from Ripon’s main car park.
“Ripon Civic Society will welcome further discussion of the plans with both the Cathedral and with other interested parties, to help achieve a solution that is acceptable to the city of Ripon.”
The Dean of Ripon, the Very Revd John Dobson, has said the creation of a Cathedral Quarter would boost the city’s economy while providing an enhanced setting for the Grade I listed building.
His comments follow the submission of a planning application to Harrogate Borough Council seeking permission for construction of a two-storey standalone annexe on the Minster Gardens site to the north of the cathedral.
If planning consent is granted, the building would include a song school, gift shop, cafe and the city centre’s first Changing Places toilet, providing improved access to the city and the cathedral for disabled people.
The area of Minster Gardens where the proposed new building would be located
To accommodate the development, 11 trees would need to be removed from Minster Gardens and the existing toilet block demolished, along with outbuildings and a wall.
The proposal also includes landscaping of the gardens and improved links to Kirkgate and the Cathedral Car Park.
With these works added to the cost of construction, the new estimate for the project is in excess of £6 million.
Dean John, said:
“Taking down the trees and building in that area will need to be seen in context of this being a major development not only for the cathedral but for the city and the region.
“The development has to serve the needs of people coming to us as worshippers, pilgrims, holidaymakers, day trippers and people who come to concerts.”
He added that the planning application is:
“The culmination of years and years of work; building relationships, looking at all the different possibilities and options.
“It has been a huge job to get to this point but what people are excited about is we have at last found a solution to the age-old problem for the cathedral and city which will enable us to create the cathedral quarter and that is a wonderful prospect.
“Ripon is the cathedral city for entrance to the Dales and the region and these plans enhance not only the cathedral but the city as well, by bringing an increase in visitor numbers.”
With regard to the removal of trees, Dean John, said:
“In mitigation of losing 11 trees we will be planting over 300 trees, some on the site and others on land which is being provided for us.”
On the issue of Minster Road, he said:
“Some people in the city want to close Minster Road while the city council definitely does not. What we are saying is we need to find a way of calming and reducing the traffic so it can become a unified area which will also be safe for pedestrians and can be opened up as a public space to be used and for people to come and go.
“There are many similar areas around the country which work perfectly successfully so while details have to be worked out we are saying there are no plans to close Minster Road.”
Ripon Cathedral major development requires removal of 11 trees
The most significant development in hundreds of years for Ripon Cathedral has been submitted to Harrogate Borough Council’s (HBC) planning department.
If planning consent is granted, it will see the construction of a two-storey standalone building to the north of the Grade I listed cathedral, which would include a refectory, song school and the city centre’s first Changing Places toilet, providing access for disabled people.
The £6m scheme also involves demolition of the existing toilet block on the site, along with outbuildings and a stone wall.
Documents on HBC’s planning portal show that the development on Minster Gardens involves the removal of 11 trees – one of which was assigned by the council as having ‘veteran status.’
In its planning statement in support of the application, Rose Consulting, says:
“The proposal does involve the removal of eleven trees, including a tree to which HBC have assigned veteran status but with compensatory planting on a ratio of five new trees to each one removed.
“This number of lost trees has been reduced to a minimum as a result of discussions with the council.”
At its December meeting, where a pre-application presentation was made on the cathedral’s proposed development, Ripon city councillors gave their support in principle, with the caveat that they could not agree to any future closure of Minster Road – which runs past the ancient building.
The application submitted to Harrogate Borough Council, does not include plans for the closure of Minster Road to through traffic – though it is a longer-term ambition
Speaking at that meeting, leader of the council Andrew Williams, said:
“We will be looking at the finer detail when the planning application is submitted, but the city council supports the general principle of this development, with the exception of the proposed closure of Minster Road, which we cannot agree with because diverting traffic elsewhere would cause many problems.”
In its submission to HBC planners, Ripon Cathedral Chapter points out:
“Ultimately it is hoped that closure of Minster Road to through traffic may one day arise – for which there is growing political and community consensus but is a benefit which is not deliverable within this application, as it is not in Chapter’s gift.”
The cathedral, which celebrated its 1,350th anniversary last year, has a national and international reputation which has seen visitors grow year on year to in excess of 100,000 in 2022.