The new refectory, song school, shop and toilets has been proposed for the Minster Gardens, which are overlooked by several listed buildings.

A public greenspace for two centuries, it was the location of the Archbishop of York’s subsidiary palace at Ripon in the Middle Ages. The site was cleared in the 1830s.

Petition organiser Jenni Holman said people were concerned about the loss of trees - including a large veteran beech, thought to have been planted around the time of Queen Victoria's coronation.

She said there had been no public consultation, with only an information board displaying details in the Cathedral.

Objectors believe there are alternatives like the old stonemason’s yard, which is going to be re-landscaped as part of of the plans, and Cathedral Hall. She said the area was far from being “unloved” as had been suggested, adding: "The Cathedral does brilliant things, they have really popular events, concerts, orchestras and a beer festival. But I thought this was wrong. It would totally change the ambience of the area.

"The main concern is the loss of mature trees - including the veteran which is over 100 years old.

"It takes a minimum of 20 years for a tree to really start helping the environment and the 300 new trees the cathedral says they are planting will be at Studley Royal (around three miles away).”

Objections have also come from Yorkshire Gardens Trust and the Woodland Trust, which said the felling of "important" trees remains "unacceptable and contrary to national policy".

However Dean of Ripon, the Very Rev John Dobson, said objectors risked “undermining” proposals which were backed by Historic England, the Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England, the parish council and Ripon Together Partnership. He’d presented the ideas to the community “a number of times” and met local householders, organisations, councillors and businesses.

He said: “We are really disappointed with how this petition has been positioned as we feel that it is not representative of the plans submitted. It’s disingenuous to suggest that this development would take away green space from the city, in fact it is adding to the usable green space in the area and landscaping will flow into the memorial garden.”

The Dean said 14 trees would be planted round the development, as well as the 300 at Studley.

The two alternatives cited by objectors had been “considered and discounted” as impractical by the cathedral and its advisors over the last ten years, he said: “Positioning essential facilities such as toilets and a chorister training area so far away from the cathedral would present safeguarding challenges.

"Storage being so far away would prove impractical. In the case of the stoneyard there would still be the need to fell trees.”

Hundreds sign petition against plans by Ripon Cathedral for new cafe and toilets