Plans in for York Minster museum and gardens
Chapter of York has lodged an application with City of York Council covering works to the Old Palace site in Dean’s Park, adjacent to the Minster.
The Minster’s governing body has submitted plans setting out a £30m vision to transform the Old Palace Library and surrounding area into a museum, education centre and public sensory garden.
The application also includes plans to resurface the 4,600 sq ft Old Palace Car Park to the south west of the building. The existing reinforced mesh surface is described as being in poor condition, with sections having failed.
The proposals form part of the longer-term vision set out in the York Minster Neighbourhood Plan, which runs to 2035.
However, delivery of the wider ambitions is dependent on Chapter raising the required funding. The plans state that a £30m fundraising campaign is currently underway to fund the works.
The Old Palace currently houses the Minster Library, which contains historic printed collections belonging to the Chapter of York dating back to the 1470s, as well as operating as a modern reference and lending library.
The proposed transformation forms part of wider plans to establish a sustainable future for the Minster and its precinct, which attracts more than 700,000 visitors a year.
The application comes against the backdrop of the challenges of maintaining the historic Minster estate, with Chapter responsible for the upkeep of the building and surrounding precinct without ongoing government or central Church of England funding.
