York Minster 15-year plan gets council approval

A centre of excellence for heritage craft skills and estate management is planned at a cost of £5m

A "trailblazing" plan which maps out the future for York Minster has now been adopted by the city council.

The York Minster Neighbourhood Plan will bring the biggest programme of works in 150 years.

It will also help determine planning applications around the historic building and its 17-acre (7-hectare) precinct that contains 60 listed buildings.

Residents voted overwhelmingly in favour of the plan.

Alex McCallion, the Minster's director of works and precinct, said the plan - the first of its kind in the country to be applied to a cathedral - was "crucial" for safeguarding the Minster and creating a sustainable future for the "hugely significant" building.

He said the works were not just for York, but "for millions around the world".

More than 80% of residents living around the Minster voted in favour of the plan, as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Prepared by the York Minster Neighbourhood Forum, it was approved by City of York Council's executive committee on Thursday.

It contains a series of policies that will be used when determining planning applications that are located within the defined neighbourhood area over the next 15 years.

Key projects include the £5m Centre of Excellence for Heritage Craft Skills and Estate Management, the creation of new visitor facilities, a new public square and enhanced public realm and green spaces as well as a new discovery and learning centre, and museum.

Mark Calvert, chair of the York Minster Neighbourhood Forum, said the "community-led" plan understood the "complexities and sensitivities of planning for change both in a heritage setting and in a historic city".

"It is the culmination of four years of hard work and extensive consultations," he added.

York City Council's Ashley Mason, executive member for economy and strategic planning, praised the "huge effort" that had gone into safeguarding the future of the Minster.

"It's not just Yorkshire's, England's, or the UK's - people come to the Minister from all over the world, so it's really important that we support this," he added.