York: Congregation to leave church for two years

Urgent repairs to an Anglican church, next to York Minster, will see the building closed for two years.

The £3.5m work at the Grade I listed St Michael le Belfrey will be the first major refurbishment of the 16th Century building in over 150 years.

It is part of a larger £11m impact project to transform the church for future generations.

The church and its services will be based in the De Grey Rooms when work begins in September.

Plans include a new roof, repairs to the stonework and medieval stained glass.

Two new doorways and level access to the front/west end will be created and an air source heat pump will be installed to provide underfloor heating.

The city council granted permission subject to a scheme of archaeological investigation ahead of work beginning.

The repair work is expected to be completed in late 2025.

The church was where Guy Fawkes, of Gunpowder Plot fame, was baptised and it attracts 35,000 visitors a year.

Known as The Belfrey, it has a 600-strong congregation.

The wider impact project wants to alter the interior of the building which it said is inflexible and inaccessible, with uneven floors and poor facilities.

Improvements planned include better toilet facilities, new meeting spaces, a cafe and servery area, new gallery and lift, together with updated technology and flexible seating.

An accessible full immersion baptism pool will be also created for use by St Michael le Belfrey and other churches throughout the area.

The proposed interior works need to be approved through the Church of England's Faculty process.

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