history is about to be made with the biggest reform in the constitution of one of the region's cathedrals in almost four centuries.

The new constitution for Ripon cathedral, in North Yorkshire, will alter the way the cathedral is run for the first time since 1604.

The chapter - which is responsible for the day-to-day running of the cathedral - will be enlarged, and a new body, the Cathedral Council, will oversee the building.

The Bishop of Ripon and Leeds, the Right Reverend John Packer, will give his consent to the changes at a choral eucharist in the cathedral on Friday evening.