Hopes for the development of Ripon Cathedral and its historic quarter would see a new building nearby to house a song school, cafe refectory and - most importantly - toilets.
But in the latest step for the long-running scheme, which has rumbled on since 2019, planning applications have now been put on pause for "a number of months". The Very Revd John Dobson, Dean of Ripon Cathedral, said this is "in relation" to local concerns.
"This is another opportunity, another chapter if you like, in the development of these plans," he said. "To design and create something which is acceptable to most people."
Ripon Cathedral
The cathedral believes it has looked at all possibilities for growth, but some people are not quite convinced, he added: "Compromise can happen - we are open to that."
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Ripon Cathedral is of international significance, with its ancient crypt built by Saint Wilfrid in 672 remaining the nation's oldest known church building in continuous use.
The Ripon Cathedral Renewed project, planners have previously outlined, is "urgent" in bringing the building into modern times and to safeguard its future. Previous plans would have topped £6m, and there are suggestions this scheme will be “significantly” more.
Originally, plans would have seen an extension to the South but this was vetoed by Historic England. Now a separate building would be to the North, and over the road. There is still vocal opposition to the plans, the Dean conceded, as with any application on this scale.
But he also believes a great many people who would be in favour are in danger of being shouted down with inappropriate or even "vicious" comments on social media.
"This is a phenomenon of our age, not just in Ripon," he said. "The public conversation gets skewed. We need a different way to engage with people.
"We are looking for ways to respond to any genuine concerns, while developing the facilities the cathedral needs. It's about asking 'how can we find a way through this'?"
The scheme is backed by the city council and the independent Fabric Advisory Committee, as well as the Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England and Historic England. Following "constructive" work with planners from North Yorkshire Council (NYC), there will now be more consultations. Exhibitions remain.
Among concerns raised were over the felling of trees, to make way for the new build, and suggestion the refectory's prominence would draw visitors away from the city centre. But consultants for the project have long argued it would increase visitor numbers to the cathedral by a third, thereby boosting the city's economy through its restaurants and shops.
This is a cathedral that already brings "life" to the city, said the Dean. There were record attendances at its main Christmas services, rising from 4,400 in 2019 to 6,000 this year.
"The cathedral's congregation is growing. Quite a lot of churches and cathedrals are not quite back to where they were before Covid - we have transcended that," said the Dean. "The light of the cathedral is there, it is flourishing. Our service to the wider community is there. We are doing that without the facilities we need and expect in the 21st century."
