Ryedale Folk Museum’s £2m expansion plan set for green light (From Gazette & Herald)

Ryedale Folk Museum’s £2m expansion plan set for green light

11:15am Tuesday 9th February 2010 in

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PLANS for a £2 million extension to house a prestigious collection at a popular museum are set for approval.

The Ryedale Folk Museum, at Hutton-le-Hole, near Kirkbymoorside, is looking to increase its display space to house the 10,000-item collection of farming memorabilia amassed by local brothers Edward and Richard Harrison.

The collection is estimated to be worth more than £1 million and it was collected over 50 years.

A two-pronged application has been entered with the North York Moors National Park’s planning committee, to extend the museum’s High Barn to form a new exhibition space and library, and to build a new two-storey learning space.

Mike Benson, museum director, said: “The Heritage Lottery Fund has been great in supporting us and Ryedale District Council has given us £250,000 in principle. We’ve been fundraising ourselves and it’s got support locally too.”

Both plans are recommended for approval by the committee on Thursday. A small number of residents have criticised the scheme, saying no parking provision has been made for increased visitor numbers.