Blakeney and Newnham Tabernacle (General)

by slowhands , proud of his ancient Dean Forest roots, Monday, June 24, 2024, 13:10 (6 days ago) @ Katep

Its hard to say

I have seen repurposed chapels where the gravestones are left in situ, and access is allowed

others where the gravestones were removed ( sometimes to the boundary wall, others completely removed.)

I havent visited this chapel, but have driven by many times

example:-

The sale will be subject to the provisions of the Disused Burial Grounds (Amendment) Act 1981. This means that it will then be the responsibility of the buyer to maintain the burial ground and to ensure that all legal requirements are complied with. This includes making facilities available for family members and others to visit the burial ground, usually on prior notice. The purchaser should be bound by covenant to allow access to the public on notice.

When the burial ground is being sold the sale will often be the subject of numerous specific covenants or premises both positive and negative binding on the new owner to try and ensure that people are still able to visit the graves, that the grounds are maintained, and the legal framework in the Disused Burial Grounds (Amendment) Act 1981 is followed and memorials are not wilfully and inappropriately damaged.

Building work can, however, be undertaken if a disused burial ground is acquired by a Local Authority and planning permission has been granted for the development. It is not necessary for the development to be used by the Local Authority.

Building work can also be undertaken on a disused burial ground if the procedures set out in the Disused Burial Grounds (Amendment) Act 1981 are followed. This involves notices and advertisements similar to that described above in connection with moving headstones. The Department for Constitutional Affairs and Commonwealth War Graves Commission should be informed of plans at an early stage.

Burial grounds can only be developed for purposes other than a church extension where the burial ground has never been used for human burials or where no relative or personal representative of the deceased buried on the grounds objects to the development.

Where building work that will disturb human remains is to be carried out, all remains MUST be exhumed and re-interred, whether or not relatives have come forward. The church must pay for this and the process is expensive.

The church or any owner of the burial ground cannot begin to erect any building on the burial ground until the human remains have been removed and the headstones and memorials removed in accordance with the necessary procedures described below, please see the section on Removing Human Remains.

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Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>