'Sensitive' repairs planned for Masonic Hall

A historic Freemasons' meeting hall is set for repairs under new plans.

If approved, the Masonic Hall, in St Saviourgate, York, would undergo work, including removing loose paint and filling cracks to stop water seeping into the front of the building.

An application lodged with York Council by planning agents Bartlett Mettham said the repairs would deliver "a substantial visual enhancement to the streetscape and the wider York Central Historic Core Conservation Area."

According to the documents, scaffolding would go up at the front of the building during the work but St Saviourgate would remain open to traffic.

The report stated the building's deterioration has been caused by water run-off and trapped moisture.

Other damage includes widespread paint flaking and bubbling, as well as weeds growing in rainwater pipes and algae staining the first floor windowsills.

Repair work would involve clearing weeds, fixing compromised render and striping back failing paint layers, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Plans stated the repairs "represent a highly beneficial, restorative, and essential intervention" aimed at preserving the historic building.

It said: "Adopting a strategy of minimal intervention ensures that the historic fabric is structurally safeguarded, avoiding the accelerated decay, freeze thaw spalling, and internal dampness that would inevitably occur under a do nothing scenario.

"Ultimately, these sensitive repairs will restore the building's classical symmetry and architectural clarity."

The hall was originally built opened as the Institute for Popular Science and Literature in 1846 before being converted into a Masonic Hall in the 1880s.

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