How York Minster is helping to reduce climate change by redeveloping historic building

A spokesman said: “Plans to sustainably convert and refurbish 1 Deangate in the Minster Precinct have been given the go ahead by City of York Council. The building will become offices and welfare facilities for the Minster’s visitor experience staff and volunteers. It is the third recent major planning consent for renewable energy projects linked to York Minster’s decarbonisation strategy.”

Planning permission had previously been granted for photovoltaic and solar panels on the roofs of the cathedral’s South Quire Aisle and the Refectory restaurant, which is being launched soon.

The Dean of York, the Very Revd Dominic Barrington, said: “The redevelopment of 1 Deangate is another major milestone in our journey towards net zero, with other similar projects set to follow as funding allows.

"Retrofitting our historical buildings is supported by a recent report commissioned by the National Trust, Historic England and other leading property organisations which found that improving the energy efficiency of aged properties could reduce carbon emissions from the UK’s buildings by 5 per cent each year, whilst making them cheaper to run.”

Alex McCallion, Director of Works and Precinct at York Minster, added: “Our Neighbourhood Plan has set a trailblazing approach, not only for planning matters, but crucially for enabling us to safeguard the Minster and to create a sustainable future for both the cathedral building and its surrounding Precinct. We are extremely proud of the leading role we are playing in challenging the established narrative around the conservation of historic buildings.”