Wells Cathedral, in common with many other cathedrals, is an intensely used and visited building. The development project arose out of a strategic study which considered the entire cathedral environment as an integral unity, with the intention of reconciling a number of potentially conflicting requirements. These included:

• Enhancing the cathedral's ongoing ecclesiastical mission
• Welcoming and managing the large numbers of visitors and pilgrims
• Clearing the cloisters of recent "temporary" accretions
• Providing for the needs of various cathedral departments, including education and music
• Allowing the historic buildings to speak in a clear and direct way
• Increasing access to previously inaccessible spaces