Local councillors have faced accusations of cowardice over their silence at a public meeting to discuss a controversial new annex at Ripon Cathedral.
Campaigners in support of the scheme were furious that several Ripon City Council members did not speak in a debate on revised plans for the proposed building.
City council members voted by seven to one against supporting the cathedral’s application for the annex, despite impassioned pleas from members of the public to back the plans.
Following the meeting on Monday, the Cathedral Support Group, which is supporting the annex scheme, issued a statement highly-critical of city council members.
Group spokesperson Meg Munn, a former Labour MP, said only one councillor, Pauline McHardy, discussed the detail of the plan.
She said Councillor Peter Horton, deputy leader of the council, then read a motion recommending that a revised application be submitted, potentially relocating part of the development.
Ms Munn said:
“This is a major and important planning application for Ripon.
“It is astonishing that most of the councillors had nothing to say and did not explain the reasons for their vote.
“It was a display of cowardice not worthy of those in elected office.”
She added:
“It appears that seven councillors had decided ahead of the meeting on this course of action.
“They did not come to listen to the public, or debate the merits or otherwise of the application — a shameful way to treat the public, both supporters and opponents.”
In response, Cllr Andrew Williams, leader of Ripon City Council, who as a member of North Yorkshire Council’s planning committee abstained from the debate, defended his colleagues and criticised the campaign group’s comments.
“Instead of pouring oil on troubled waters, she (Ms Munn) has set fire to the flames,” he said, adding:
“Comments by the lady were in my view deeply un-Christian and wholly inappropriate for the Christmas season — they lack goodwill to any men or women
“To call people cowards is just not helpful or appropriate, not least because two members of Ripon City Council served with the Royal Engineers, and one was a fireman.
“To accuse them of cowardice is, to say the least, unfortunate.”
Cllr Williams said an hour’s debate took place at the meeting, which included input from several councillors, both for and against the plans.
He said a statement was then read by Cllr Horton.
He added:
“The councillors did not speak simply because this was a position they agreed with and they did not want to repeat what had already been said."
The row is the latest chapter in an increasingly bitter dispute over the annex which has seen input from the former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and the actress Judi Dench.
Original plans submitted in 2022 proposed that the annex be built on public land known as Minster Gardens, housing toilets for the cathedral as well as a refectory and song school.
The plans would have seen the loss of 12 trees, including one beech designated as a heritage tree.
This tree would be saved under the revised plans, with 300 more planted to mitigate the loss of the others.
More than 400 people have submitted comments to North Yorkshire Council about the plans, with roughly half in favour of the development and half against.
The plans are expected to be decided by North Yorkshire Council in the new year, with Ripon City Council’s views considered as part of the process.
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