A “TRAILBLAZING” plan which maps out the future for York’s historic Minster has been officially adopted by the city council after residents voted overwhelmingly in favour of it.
The York Minster neighbourhood plan, the first of its kind in the country to be applied to a cathedral, will help determine planning applications around the Minster and its precinct – which contains more than 60 listed buildings.
Significantly, the plan will allow the Chapter of York, which runs the Minster, to bring forward ground-breaking changes to the seven hectare estate – the biggest programme of works planned in 150 years.
Key projects include the 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.
Alex McCallion, director of works and precinct, said: “The neighbourhood plan will be crucial for allowing us to safeguard the Minster, creating a sustainable future for this hugely significant religious, historic and architectural monument, not just for York, but for millions around the world.”
More than 80 per cent of residents living around the Minster voted in favour of the plan, which was prepared by the York Minster Neighbourhood Forum and was finally approved by City of York Council’s executive committee on Thursday.
It contains a series of policies – with sustainability being a key focus – that will be used when determining planning applications that are located within the defined neighbourhood area over the next 15 years.
Mark Calvert, chair of the York Minster Neighbourhood Forum, said: “The York Minster neighbourhood plan is a genuinely community-led plan which intimately understands the complexities and sensitivities of planning for change both in a heritage setting and in a historic city such as York.
“It is the culmination of four years of hard work and extensive consultations, and with its official ratification, we are very proud to be leading the way for other heritage organisations to follow.”
Cllr 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.
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