A WORLD renowned artist has moved a step further towards completing his most important work in the national park after councillors decided it was too good an opportunity to turn down.

The North York Moors National Park Authority’s planning committee granted its officers authority to approve Andy Goldsworthy’s Hanging Stones project once a detailed heritage assessment was complete, despite fears it could damage the highly protected landscape.

The debate followed months of deliberations about the artwork, which would see five ruined historic properties in Rosedale “brought back from the brink”, adding to the five properties he had previously been allowed to rebuild as part of the project funded by Carphone Warehouse billionaire David Ross’s foundation.

The meeting heard Mr Goldsworthy appeal for the scheme to be granted after a decision was postponed to develop a plan to manage volumes of visitors and to assess the potential impact of visitors on the valley.

Mr Goldsworthy’s partner, art historian Tina Fiske read a statement in which he said while the buildings would house artworks, the completed artwork would be the 10 buildings and a four-hour walk between them.

It stated: “I have never worked on a project that has enjoyed so much support yet is so close to being prevented from being completed."

The meeting heard the project had received widespread support among the global artistic community, as well as from the majority of locals.

However, the authority’s director of planning Chris France said some of the ruins were in prominent positions and rebuilding them would represent new building in open countryside, harm the character of the landscape and dilute the special qualities of the national park, particularly tranquillity and a sense of remoteness.

Mr France said the work on the first five Hanging Stones buildings had less of an impact on the landscape as they had been significantly less ruined.

He said setting out to recreate the historic buildings – which the meeting heard may include a 16th century farmstead and a meeting house – could also be damaging as there was uncertainty over their cultural significance.

The meeting heard Mr Goldsworthy had pledged an archaeologist would be on site to advise whenever digging would take place and insist that his project would conserve heritage and the landscape’s character.

Mr France added the project was “a fantastic idea for re-using a traditional building which is absolutely inspirational”, plans to restrict visitor numbers by a booking system would limit the environmental damage, the artwork would be on public rights of way, so any number of people could view it.

Withstanding the environmental impact and concerns that farmers could argue they should be allowed to rebuild properties elsewhere if Mr Goldsworthy was permitted to, members said the potential economic and cultural benefits of the scheme were plentiful.

Jim Bailey, the authority’s chairman, said the artwork would renew the character of Rosedale “in an exceptional way” and give tens of thousands of people a chance to experience its spirituality.