CONTROVERSY is surrounding a Christian retreat’s plans to bulldoze buildings beside a grade II* listed chapel.

The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority’s planning committee is set to consider an application by the Scargill Movement to transform its retreat in the heart of the national park following an officers’ recommendation the scheme be approved.

The retreat, which has a resident community of up to 35 people who follow a ‘new-monastic‘ lifestyle as well as guests, has applied to demolish its Three Peaks complex, Aysgarth building, dining room and several accommodation buildings and replace them with buildings, including one with “an overtly contemporary design”.

The movement said the changes were vital to the centre’s viability.

Heritage bosses are investigating whether more buildings at the site near Kettlewell should be listed and the Twentieth Century Society has raised concerns over the potential loss of heritage buildings and the effect it would have on the chapel.