Cathedral annexe could harm views - civic group

Ripon Civic Society told North Yorkshire Council that the annexe could harm the views from Studley Royal Park

A controversial plan to build an annexe at Ripon Cathedral has hit another bump in the road as a fresh objection has been lodged.

The annexe proposals include building a new song school and cafe next to the cathedral on the adjacent Minster Gardens area.

Ripon Civic Society told North Yorkshire Council that the annexe could harm the views from Studley Royal Park, which includes the Fountains Abbey ruins and is a protected Unesco World Heritage Site.

Ripon Cathedral submitted a heritage impact assessment with its planning application that said the annexe “will not impede or appear” in views from the site.

The society, which has an advisory role on local planning applications, previously focused its criticism on the design of the proposed annexe and its impact on Minster Gardens and nearby listed buildings.

But a separate planning application from the National Trust to revamp Studley Royal Park has given the society a new perspective.

For that application, the council received a technical statement from the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), which makes representations regarding World Heritage Sites.

Buffer zone

The body explained that a formal buffer zone was added to Studley Royal’s Unesco designation to protect it against “inappropriately sited buildings” which could “harm key views” from the site.

The civic society said the cathedral, which can be viewed from the park, was part of this buffer zone.

It judged the impact of the proposed annexe “would be even greater” in winter when there were no leaves on the trees, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The civic society said the impact of the annexe would be greater in winter when trees shed their leaves

It also noted the importance of the view along the Oak Line, which was planted as a designed view from the Grade II* Listed stables to the cathedral, as well as from the deer park.

Rachel Wigginton, planning lead at the civic society, suggested the annexe should be built in the cathedral’s stone yard to avoid any potentially negative visual impact.

This has previously been rejected by the cathedral’s chapter.

The Dean of Ripon, the Very Rev John Dobson, said the annexe was crucial to offer 21st-Century facilities including new toilets while safeguarding the future of its choir.

North Yorkshire Council will make a decision on the planning applications at Ripon Cathedral and Studley Royal at a later date.

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