Fountains Abbey improvements to go ahead

Multimillion-pound plans to improve a World Heritage Site in North Yorkshire have been recommended for approval.

The £4.6m proposals for the Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal estate, near Ripon, include improvements to the water garden area and an extension to the cafe.

The scheme also includes upgrades to the entrance to improve accessibility, the National Trust, which runs the site, said.

North Yorkshire Council planning officers have recommended the plans be approved by councillors at a meeting on Tuesday.

The National Trust submitted a planning application in 2023, outlining its plans for the site.

Plans have since been amended following concerns raised by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), according to a council report.

The size of the cafe extension has been reduced from 88 seats to 64 seats.

Plans for the outdoor seating area were also reduced in size and landscaping plans have been altered.

The proposals aim to "help to tell the important story of this World Heritage Site and will make improvements to a busy area of the water garden," according to the National Trust.

Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal attracts more than 400,000 visitors a year.

It includes the ruins of a 12th Century abbey and the landscaped Georgian water garden with statues and follies.

The site also features a Victorian gothic church, the Elizabethan Fountains Hall and a medieval deer park.

It was acquired by the National Trust in 1983 and was designated a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1986.

In a report prepared for the council meeting, planning officers said the scheme "improves the quality of the attraction, supports the local economy," and has an acceptable impact on "heritage, landscape, highways and amenity".

They have recommended the plans be approved by councillors, subject to conditions.

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