PLANS for siting a giant commemorative cross have been given the go-ahead by the North York Moors National Park Authority - but only on the casting vote of its chairman, Philip Shaw.
The cross is due to be erected in memory of the late Cardinal Basil Hume and to mark the 200th anniversary of Ampleforth Abbey near Helmsley.
The split decision resulted from concerns by some members that the cross would be on a hillside, alongside a road running past the abbey and its college.
Since 2000, the cross has stood outside Westminster Cathedral, but it will be returned to North Yorkshire later this year where it was designed and built.
Some authority members said they wanted the decking around the cross's base to be more in keeping with the landscape at Ampleforth.
Mark Southerton, senior planning officer said six alternative sites had been investigated by the abbey authorities.
Also approved was a plan for a visitor centre to be built by English Heritage at Helmsley Castle to boost the number of tourists.
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