SALISBURY Cathedral's masterplan got the thumbs up from councillors on Thursday, receiving unanimous support.

In approving the plan at the Southern Area Planning Committee, councillors praised the Dean and Chapter (the cathedral's governing body) for an "extensive consultation" and a "cracking document".

The one concern involved the development of new housing within the Close.

Speaking at the meeting, Chapter Clerk Jackie Molnar said: "The rationale for the plan is to provide the cathedral with an agreed framework for moving forward with a number of related projects over the coming years.

"We are approaching the completion of our major repair programme which is over 30 years of work which has been to secure the stone and glass work of the cathedral for future generations and as we have been looking beyond that programme we've been considering how we make best use of the land and the buildings within our care.

"Alongside that we've been thinking about how we preserve heritage skills, give greater access to the public as well as the treasures in our library and archives."

The masterplan, first published in June 2015, involves providing new public access to the south side of the cathedral, opening up views painted by Constable, creating an education centre, a song school for choristers and a home for the archives and Magna Carta.

It also involves providing a welcome centre at 32-33 The Close, using the North Porch as a main entrance and building new accommodation for clergy on an orchard at the back of 20 The Close, so that existing Grade II* buildings presently used for the residentiary canons can be privately rented.

Councillors voted to endorse the plan as a material consideration to be taken into account when decisions are made. The endorsement does not predetermine any planning applications which will still have to be submitted for approval and considered on their own merits.

Councillor Ian Tomes said: "The Dean and Chapter have consulted brilliantly and they've taken on board most of what people have said to them.

"I'm a little bit disappointed that more hasn't been done with the Bishop's Palace but overall the proposals are good and offer a long-term objective for the cathedral and for Salisbury as a whole.

"I thought long and hard about whether there should be clergy housing in the Cathedral Close but actually in terms of sustainability and many other issues, it's a plus. Obviously the devil will be in the detail when those proposals are put forward."

Councillor Richard Britton called it a "cracking document" but while Cllr Richard Clewer praised the consultation and document, he raised concerns over the new clergy housing.

He said: "You're going to have to be doing something pretty special to get over building a new building in that area of the Close and the fact that it's being brought forward in order to make money doesn't sit terribly well - it's probably the only incongruous part of the plan."

He added: "I would have rather seen clergy placed closer to the Friary where we could have used them to help with social issues as well, personally."

With no one present at the meeting to speak in objection to the plans, councillors took just 15 minutes to approve it.