The project to renovate the refectory and create a new park is the first to emerge from the York Minster Neighbourhood Plan, a planning document created in partnership with the community to consider how the Minster area will need to evolve to meet the changing needs of residents and visitors up to 2035. The Grade II-listed former school building at 2 Deangate would be renovated, with the stonework cleaned and repaired to reveal previously hidden architectural features. Disabled access routes would be created throughout the building and solar panels installed, for the first time on any building in the precinct. The building would become a refectory, or cafe, across the ground and first floors, with an outdoor seating area in front.