All Saints Church, Childwall

[MaryA]

There is a proposal to build a Rotunda attached to All Saints Church, Childwall and built on top of the graveyard. This is to house toilet facilities, a kitchen, and a vestry for the vicar, all of which they already have in the present church hall. Objections were sent in to the Planning Committee who ruled that they could not go ahead with the proposed building and the desecration of the graveyard. However, the church has now put in an appeal over the Christmas period when most people would be engaged with other things, maybe hoping that no one would notice. Any objections to the appeal have to be in by Wednesday, 11th January, 2012, which I know is short notice.

There is an article about it sent in to the Liverpool Family Historian which we believe will be published in the March edition, but as the appeal has been brought forward the verdict will be over by that time. If they lose again this time they will have to take it to a public enquiry if they wish to pursue the matter but on the other hand if they win the appeal the building will go ahead desecrating the graves in the churchyard.

Many of our members may have loved ones buried in this churchyard and are unaware of what is to happen to their graves.

This is a brief outline on the matter.

e-mail objections to be sent to: teamP16@pins.gsi.gov.uk for the attention of Jennifer Saunders, The Planning Inspectorate, Bristol.

It is essential that you quote: Appeal reference: APP/Z4310/A/11/2165452/NWF

Site: All Saints Church, Childwall Lane, Liverpool L16 0JW

Proposal: To erect single storey extension with glazed link to existing church and use part of adjoining land "Blood
Stained" (Bloody Acre) as a burial ground.

Appellant`s name: All Saints church PCC

A little about the Church:-

All Saints Church, Childwall is a Grade 1 listed building and it is the only Medieval Church left in Liverpool. The church, the graveyard and Bloody Acre are in a conservation Area. Bloody Acre is the site of an ancient battlefield and if used as an extension to the present graveyard or any buildings are erected upon it, then it should be subject to a full archaeological survey. Over the years it has also become a sanctuary for wild life and an open green space in the conservation area.

The proposed Rotunda is huge and out of keeping with the present medieval church. It is to be built attached by a glass corridor to the church,over the site of the graveyard which runs parallel with Bloody Acre. If this building takes place it will be on top of 80 or more graves which each contain about 4 or 5 burials, so the full total will be over 500 interments desecrated. We know of some people whose Mother`s remains were interred there as recent as 2008 and they where not informed by the present vicar at the time of the interment, even though plans were already underway at that time. They only heard of the proposed building last year, by other means. There are many people who have loved ones buried in the churchyard who still do not know about the proposed monstrosity which is to be built over their grave, thus denying them access to attend their graves or to be buried in future with their loved ones.

The church already have a huge church hall, far larger than most churches, just 2 minutes across a quiet country lane. This present church hall is to be refurbished at great cost and is more than sufficient for the needs of the congregation.

There are spare rooms in the church itself which are only used for storage so toilet facilities could be situated in one of these rooms and a disabled access could be put into the church without causing too much disruption to the fabric of this ancient church. It is proposed to pile the churchyard and raft over with concrete as a foundation for the Rotunda despite the fact that English Heritage recommend that piling is not done near human remains.

If you type into Google SAVE CHILDWALL CHURCH and click on the website it will give you more information regarding the matter.

This church is an important part of Liverpool`s Heritage and the graveyard an important source of information to Family Historians. The dead should be left to rest in peace.

If you yourself or anyone you know would like to send an objection to the e-mail address given above, please do so by 11th January. I would be grateful if you would forward this e-mail on to anyone you think may be interested.

"It has been most truly said that these old buildings do not belong to us only; they have belonged to our forefathers and they will belong to our descendants unless we play them false. They are not in any sense our property, to do as we like with. We are only the trustees for those that come after us."

William Morris. 1889.

[MaryA]

Following the appeal for Objections above, although as yet there is no outcome as the investigation is still ongoing, I received the following from the lady who asked me to post this.

We went to the Planning Dept. on Friday to look at the Objection letters regarding the appeal for Childwall Church. It was heartwarming to see how many people had responded to your appeal and sent in objection letters. There is to be a site visit from the Planning Inspector at Bristol before the final decision is made. Will keep you informed on the situation.

Whatever the result, thank you for your help and please pass our thanks on to those other people who sent in objection letters, it is nice to know that others care about our heritage even as far away as Australia and have compassion for those buried in the churchyard and their relatives.

[daggers]

Tonight's Echo, online version, has a story that the application has been withdrawn, and if any further action is to be taken, the whole process will have to start from scratch.
Daggers

[dickiesam]

Tonight's Echo, online version, has a story that the application has been withdrawn, and if any further action is to be taken, the whole process will have to start from scratch.
Daggers

Best news today! I also saw it at http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liv ... ol-7049658

[MaryA]

Well we are happy about that!

I'm not too sure the clergy agree on that point, mentioning it to a vicar a short while ago, best not be too precise about which one, he believed that the priority should be for current worshippers to have the facilities.

[dickiesam]

Frankly I don't see how anyone, especially the clergy, can disregard respect for the dead in order to satisfy the bodily 'needs' of living worshipers. It has been reported that there is already adequate 'vacant' space within the church to serve the worshipers without that rather grandiose rotunda scheme as proposed and now withdrawn.