All Saints Church, Childwall © Jonathon Wild
Bereaved families are waiting to find out whether the graves of their loved ones will be built over for a church extension despite a furious protest campaign.
All Saints Church in Childwall proposes to build an £800,000 rotunda extension into the churchyard, meaning that as many as 87 graves, some only a few years old, will make the foundations of the new building.
It is believed that it is only when construction work begins that it will be known whether bodies need to be exhumed and moved, along with the headstones.
Objectors cite that the proposed extension is unsuitable for the Grade I listed church, which is in a Conservation Area and is also the only medieval church in the Liverpool region, having been founded in the 14th Century.
Although the plans were initially rejected by Liverpool City Council in 2011, the church successfully appealed the decision to the Planning Inspectorate in Bristol in May. The outcome now lies in the hands of the Consistory Court of the Diocese of Liverpool, who may or may not grant a faculty [consent] to the church in Childwall Abbey Road to allow construction.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4hZtuBxJQs
Protests about the plans were featured in Private Eye magazine, while dozens of letters of objection have been sent to local newspapers. A ‘Save Childwall Church’ campaign website and Facebook group have been set up to garner support to block the rotunda from being built.
Christine Walpole’s mother-in-law was buried in All Saints Church grounds as recently as four years ago and hers is one of the graves affected by the plans.
Mrs Walpole told JMU Journalism: “When my husband arranged his mother’s funeral in 2008 and the plans were in place, the church withheld the information that the headstone would be removed and the grave built over – to house toilets amongst other things.”
She added: “They maintain that they tried to contact affected families, but could hardly have had a better opportunity than when they were approached about a forthcoming funeral. We found out about the proposals when a cousin sent us an article from a local newspaper.”
Mrs Walpole claims that when they approached Reverend Gary Renison of All Saints Church about the matter he told them: “This is my land.”
Mrs Walpole, now of Llandudno, North Wales, also described how church officials have said to her family that to be buried under a church building “has always been an honour”.
She said: “They are actually equating a grave inside the church with graves outside having their headstones removed and toilets built on top of it. They’re telling us that we should regard that as an honour.”
The site where the extension could be built © Jonathon Wild
The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings also opposes the plans and released a file against the church’s appeal of the council’s planning refusal.
SPAB Churches Officer, Catherine Cullis, concludes in the document: “The Society supports the decision by Council members not to grant planning permission for the proposed extension on the grounds that its scale and massing would impact detrimentally on the character of the historic church and its churchyard setting.”
Both the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings and the ‘Save Childwall Church’ website believe there may be other ways for the church to achieve their aims.
The SPAB said: “The Society would willingly contribute to further discussions in the belief that a solution which would not damage the character and quality of the church and its setting can be achieved and which would meet the needs of the church.”
All Saints’ Reverend Gary Renison is currently on sabbatical. In his absence, church administrator Ruth Scott told JMU Journalism: “We are well aware of the objectors and their points of view but as we have now made our faculty request/petition the entire business of approval or otherwise is now the subject of due process.
“As this process must now run its course, any formal comments need to be addressed to the Diocesan Registrar.”
The date of the decisive Consistory Court of the Diocese of Liverpool is yet to be confirmed.
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- All Saints Church, Childwall © Jonathon Wild
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- The site where the extension could be built © Jonathon Wild
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- All Saints Church, Childwall
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- All Saints Church graveyard. Pic by JMU Journalism
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- All Saints Church graves where the extension is planned
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- All Saints Church graveyard plans
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- All Saints Church graveyard plans
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- All Saints Church, Childwall
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- All Saints Church, Childwall
As a former resident of Childwall – now living in South of England but managing to retain close interest in Childwall with visits to relatives from time to time – I am appalled by what is intended. I know the location well having been christened there and in my opinion the intended development can only be described as a solution looking for a problem which very few in the Parish accept as being either necessary or desirable, destroying as it will very many years if not centuries of heritage. If the scheme goes ahead I forecast that empty pews are likely to be seen in the Church leading to even less demand for what can now only be described as an act of ecclesiaatical vandalism.
This “scheme,”for that is what it is,is an absolute outrage and makes a mockery of what “Grade 1 listing” is all about,to say nothing of disturbing the eternal peace of those who have passed on,and are lying interred within the “footprint” of this massive,ill conceived “carbuncle” with all the attendant distress inposed on those who remain to mourn them by paying their regular respects,such an abomination should NOT be permitted under ANY circumstances whatsoever!!
As an ex-Liverpool resident and a former teacher in the area I find it appalling that the original decision concerning All Saints church has been overturned, resulting in further suffering and stress to the families involved in the protest. The fact that the church is of such historical value should surely lead to a re-think of plans and an end to eccumenical bullying.
Why do we have Conservation Areas? To protect the listed buildings they contain, most especially those of architectural and historic importance. All Saints,Childwall is the oldest of our eight Grade1 listed churches. It existed before Liverpool was a town and long before the waterfront church of St Nicholas. The most striking elevation is the North wall built,entirely in keeping with the ancient church,in 1906. The planning rules for cemeteries state they are ‘for visiting the dead’ and that as ‘open green space’ the graveyard is for recreational use. Anglican burial rules say that’the dead should rest in peace’! The graves are to the church as the planets are to the sun, inseparable. This wholely intact churchyard with its wonderful vista is unique and precious – it must be saved.
i am so upset over these plans , i have family graves in childwall dating back to the 1600,s none of which are to be affected by the new building but feel so strongly for the families of other graves that are.
how can the church of all establishments not respect the dead and their loved ones left behind, it is beyond belief and i hope they do not get permission to carry out such an act of barbarism. mary wood.
The reputation of the church has already been greatly damaged by the prospect of the dreaded rotunda extension at Childwall Church. From the outset, secrecy and lies have surrounded the proposal. The church was obliged to obtain the co-operation of affected families, but failed to do so.
They have now been exposed and seriously discredited. Right-minded Christians cannot understand how the guardians of this treasured, medieval church can exhibit such ruthlessness and arrogance and be so impervious to the distress they are causing to so many people.
It is now time for the Bishop of Liverpool to step in and put a stop to this unthinkable destruction of our city’s heritage and the desecration of graves.
I agree with Ruth Smith. This is bullying. Hostility is being shown to some members of the congregation just because they don’t agree with the plans.
This church is piling shame and notoriety onto the Anglican Church. Untold damage has already been caused.
The Diocese should step in now and put a stop to this before it escalates even further.
The diocese seems to have closed ranks, giving blind support to those who have spent money pushing this scheme. Archdeacon Ricky Panter wrote to the Echo that the proposed architectural plans were best for the church’s needs, but when I met him the following day he revealed he did not know what the actual plans were. So he was, in fact, saying different plans were best for the church’s needs. The church warden said the PCC had engaged the architects as experts and merely adopted their suggestions. He also said that the rotunda, held to be so essential for ‘mingling’ before and after services, would seat about 24. Figures given for congregations at Childwall range between 70 and 300. The church hall (destined for a £1m+ extension including a commercial kitchen) is about 100 metres away and as that is where the majority of mingling takes place at present, one assumes that is where it will take place in the future.
This extension is considered by many to be ugly, unnecessary, disrespectful to the dead, distressing to those who will not be able to tend their family graves, and the way some proposers have conducted themselves is totally out of keeping with traditional views of Christianity.
The insensitivity and lack of compassion of these so-called Christians is mind-boggling. Their attitude and behaviour towards others is shameful, but they appear to be incapable of shame.
We need to support the secularists who stand up against such outrageous abuse of power by the all-powerful and ruthless Church/State machine.
I think it is appalling that a Grade 1 listed building set in a conservation area and the only medieval church in Liverpool should be destroyed to build an unnecessary Rotunda which is totally out of keeping with the design and character of this beautiful church. There is a perfectly adequate and huge church hall just across a quiet, narrow lane which serves the purpose of providing refreshments and toilets facilities to the parishioners, which is to be refurbished at a cost of over £1m. Another £1m plus will be spent building the Rotunda. Surely this great amount of money could be put to better use. It is feasible to provide toilet facilities within the church without resorting to building this Rotunda. Liverpool Planning Department has already refused planning permission for this Rotunda to be built and it’s decision should be adhered to.
It is also inconceivable that about 87 graves in the churchyard with approximately 5 burials in each grave will be desecrated by piling through the graves and building a concrete raft for the foundations. English Heritage advise that piling should not be used where there are human remains. This idea is even more outrages when once considers that some of the burials are as recent as 2008. The churches motto was ‘Access for All’ if this development goes ahead how will the relatives of those buried within this hallowed ground have access to their loved one graves or to be buried with their loved ones in future? Christianity says Love thy neighbour, what love is the church showing to those with relatives buried there?
My link with All Saints church is geographically close distant in time. My family lived for a while at Childwall Hall, and several relations have memorials in the church – including the second man to be called Bamber Gascoyne. This link is strong enough to make me feel involved in the local protest against the church’s development scheme. It seems an outrage (and sacrilege?) to build over the graves of recently buried parishioners.
Poor show from a so called Christian organisation. What seems the point of listed buildings and their environs when it appears that the church can ride rough shod over a democratically elected council appointed to look into the planning interests of local inhabitants. Seems they don’t care a jot about anyones feelings except their own somewhat dubious interests. Figures of two and a half million pounds are flying around to cover the erection of this rotunda and the refurbishment of the church hall. It beggars belief that for a congregation of only 300 they are willing to spend approx £8,400 on each member of that church. Makes me wonder what the ulterior motive is. Is it their intention to rent this/ these buildings to private companies to provide an income for the church…..it’s not for the creature comforts of the congregation is it? Their personal needs can be well catered for in the premises on the opposite side of the road from the church.
My granny was buried in the grounds of this church alongside some of her other family members. She was an amazing lady who lived through two world wars and to the grand age of 99. I, for one, believe that she now deserves to rest in peace. As she was only buried a few years ago, I think that it was very wrong that the church did not tell my family of the future plans that they had for the rotunda. They don’t appear to care about the stress and upset that they are causing my family at all. I suppose it all comes down to the pound signs in the end.
It is sad and disturbing to learn of the behaviour of members of the clergy towards bereaved relatives.
Although St James in the City may not be a parallel case to that of All Saints, it is relevant that in January 2010 an alternative to building over graves was considered (Liverpool Echo 4.1.10) and a better outcome was reached, which had the support of the Archdeacon, Ricky Panter, and the Diocese.
I and other objectors have been met with a wall of silence from the vicar of All Saints when alternatives to building this obscene extension have been suggested. It is puzzling that the Archdeacon has stated that what is happening at All Saints has his full support.
Having followed events at Childwall Church for the past 2 years, it is obvious that the lunatic proposal to build a modern extension housing toilets over graves has been driven by one man, namely the vicar Gary Rennison. It has caused ongoing distress to affected families, alienated local residents and upset his congregation, many of whom have ceased to attend church services as a result.
This has engendered a lot of objection and adverse publicity for the church, showing it in a bad light and to be uncaring. This publicity is growing with notable and well-known people adding their names to the list of objectors, while Mr Rennison has taken 3 months off to write a novel.
We will never get to the truth as to what – or who – persuaded the Planning Inspector to overturn the planning refusal. We can only guess. We do know that the decision was contrary to local planning legislation, contrary to overwhelming local opposition and contrary to Christian values.
We can only hope that the Consistory Court Judge makes the right decision. He must say “No”. The alternative is unthinkable.