York Minster is seeking to erect a shipping container to host a Christmas pop-up café.

If approved, the venue would open from 9am to 5pm daily from November 22 to January 5.

Plans submitted to City of York Council say the site in front of the South Quire Aisle has previously been used by the Minster to site temporary infrastructure, including catering offers and offices.

The last use of the currently empty site was to host temporary offices during redevelopment works in the Minster Precinct.

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The application said: “The converted shipping container and its immediate surroundings will be dressed for Christmas, host a pop-up Christmas café and connect York Minster to the city’s wider Christmas market offering.

“It will support the Minster and the city in its key Christmas offer and builds on the success of previous, family friendly, seasonal offers in the Minster Precinct.”

Previous approvals for market stalls, it continued, generated much needed income for York Minster in the aftermath of the pandemic.

The application continued: “The pop-up Christmas cafe will be unique experience to the Christmas Market audience and York residents and follows the example of other major English and European cathedral cities whose precincts play an active role in their respective Christmas markets.

“The pop-up Christmas cafe will be operated by York Minster Refectory and will sell Nordic style, Christmas take-away hot and cold drinks, refreshments and snacks.

“The pop-up will be open daily from 9h – 17h to attract families and Christmas shoppers and there will be no seating. 

“We expect customers to dwell in Minster Gardens with their refreshments; Minster Gardens is a relatively newly-opened park with ample seating, recycling bins and a water fountain, it has been popular over summer with families taking advantage of the temporary seating and sculptures installed in partnership with York BID.”

The application explained the café aims to drive footfall to the Minster Yard and Minster Gardens, expanding the Christmas Market footprint and connect York Minster to the Chity’s wider Christmas Festival and market offering.

It also aims to encourage people to visit the Minster and generate funding towards its operation.

The application said the Minster receives no government funding and it relies on money from various funding bodies and paying visitors.

It added the cafe, which would be no higher than 3 metres, would cause less than substantial harm to the setting of the minster but only on a temporary basis. Already, the setting is “significantly impacted by the extensive scaffolding” for the ten-year restoration of the Quire Aisle and the medieval windows.

Therefore, the application which aims to generate funding for the upkeep of the Minster would have neutral impact, would be an added Christmas attraction, and thus should be approved, it concluded.