Relatives fury over graves car park plan

From the The Bolton News, first published Monday 12th Feb 2007.

ANGRY relatives have hit out at plans to flatten a graveyard and turn it into the car park of a new development.

People whose loved ones are buried at the former Lee Lane United Reformed Church in Horwich have been given just 14 days to claim headstones before they are removed.

Developers Tony Dixon and Diane Brooks bought the church in January and want to transform it into flats or offices. Part of their plan is to make the graveyard a car park.

But the proposals have been condemned by people whose family members are buried at the site.

Brian Smith, aged 68, of Hughes Avenue, Horwich, who visits his grandparents' grave, said: "The owners hand-delivered a letter last week and said they wanted to be as sensitive as possible, but giving us 14 days is hardly a reasonable time.

"Once the headstones have been removed, I fear it will be difficult to get them back - and I don't understand the rush as they have not got planning permission for the car park yet.

"My auntie, who is in her 80s, is very upset by this. We assumed the graves would be protected and had no idea this would happen."

Maurice Lawson, who now lives in Derbyshire, had the ashes of both his parents interred at the site.

He said: "My father was a member of the church and placed there in 2003. I would like his burial site to remain undisturbed."

There are about 300 people buried in the graveyard and although the last coffin burial was in the early 1970s, urns containing ashes have been buried as recently as 2004.

The church opened in the mid-1740s and was known as Lee Lane Chapel. It was knocked down and rebuilt in the 1880s.

At its peak, there were more than 200 members of the congregation in the early 20th century, but it had to close in 2005 due to a fall in numbers.

Former treasurer David Wolstenholme said: "This used to be one of the biggest and best churches in Horwich and was well supported in the early 1900s, with more than 100 children attending the Sunday school."

The church was put on the market for £120,000 and was sold on January 31 to Mr Dixon and Ms Brooks.

Ms Brooks said: "We want to turn the church into flats or offices and create a car park, and we are keen to restore the church back to its former glory.

"We also hope to create a garden of remembrance with a statue or monument surrounded by inscriptions from the headstones.

"People think that 14 days is unreasonable, but if they can't move them in that time, we will keep them in safe storage for six months.

"In the interests of safety, we need to remove them in case someone falls and injuries themselves because they are potentially dangerous."

The Department of Constitutional Affairs has confirmed that headstones are not protected by the Disused Burial Act, which would only apply if there was a proposal to disturb the land.

Horwich councillors have been contacted by members of the public who are concerned.

Cllr Barbara Ronson said: "It is a difficult situation because we need to maintain a balance between not letting the building fall into disrepair and the sensitivity of the situation."

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