A CELEBRATED artist’s plan to re-build traditional stone buildings to create a sculpture trail for visitors across a national park, has been recommended for refusal, despite receiving support from many of the world’s leading art experts.

The North York Moors National Park Authority’s planning committee will hear the completion of Andy Goldsworthy’s Hanging Stones project is dependent on him receiving permission to sculpt five buildings to house his works of art north of Rosedale.

Mr Goldsworthy, whose artworks form the centrepiece of numerous sculpture parks and museums around the world, aims to create a six-mile circular walk by linking five sculptures for which he has previously received permission with the new proposals.

Supporters of the scheme have described the proposed artworks as “genius”. The artworks have been commissioned for the work by the charitable foundation of the former Carphone Warehouse businessman and Rosedale Estate owner David Ross.

Mr Goldsworthy, whose scheme will be considered next week, said he had chosen the ruined buildings as they are “places that have the imprint of the people who have been before”. He added: “The issue is not whether a ruin is better off left alone, but what form it will take next. My own personal belief is that there is time enough for a building to become ruinous again and the prospect of being rebuilt as an artwork would not be an uninteresting layer in a building’s history.”

The scheme has been received enthusiastically by many of the world’s leading art experts, including numerous directors of museums from San Fransisco to France and an Oxford University professor.

Molly Donovan, curator at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC since 1975, said the “long-term impact and cultural significance of this project is enormous, and all positive”. She said Mr Goldsworthy’s work had made the museum “a destination for visitors from around the world... turning a one-time blind side of the building into a quiet, meaningful place for thoughtful connection”.

Kildale resident Giancarla Alen-Buckley added: “These beautiful old traditional rural stone buildings are becoming so rare, falling from use, soon to disappear entirely unless given another purpose. So for them to find a new lease of life protecting contemporary works of art is so special.”

Rosedale Parish Council has said the project would be a further asset to the area, encouraging both tourism and health benefits to those interested in viewing the sculptures.

However, officers have recommended the plan for refusal as the extent of rebuilding required would “result in the construction of a new building in the open countryside which would comprise sporadic development, harming the character of the open landscape and dilute the special qualities of this part of the national park”.

They added while Mr Goldsworthy’s original proposals were said to be low key, with restricted public access, the scale of the development he was now proposing would result in significantly greater activity levels in a “tranquil dale which has no road or through access and on the surrounding open moorland, which has not previously been served by public footpaths”.

The officers stated: “The Seated Figure sculpture on Westerdale Moor has demonstrated the harm that can be caused to moorland habitat by too many visitors resulting from popular art installations.

“This sculpture has now been removed and re-located at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park due to the level of complaints received regarding parking, activity levels, litter and erosion of the moorland by cars and excessive number of walkers focussed on a specific site.”