Graves are being moved to make way for a housing development in Bollington. Contractors started digging up and relocating 110 gravestones in the grounds of St John’s Church to make way for a car park which forms part of plans to transform the church into apartments.
Bollington-based developers The Simply Group was given planning permission last year to build 13 apartments but retain the church exterior.
The plans were supported by Bollington Town Council and vicar Veronica Hydon has said she is pleased to see the church, which shut eight years ago, developed rather than demolished.
But Coun Betty Bonson has said the development will ruin the historic church and an anonymous caller to The Express said: "It’s going to cause uproar in the village. They are just rolling over graves with no respect. It’s appalling for anyone with loved ones buried there."
Video of the work starting can be seen below ...
A neighbour, who wanted to remain anonymous, said: "I think it’s out of order interfering with graves no matter how old they are. It could be any of our mums or dads under there."
But the developers have been through rigorous pre-planning checks with the church.
All the graves being moved are at least 50 years old and the majority are more than 100 years old.
William Knight, general manager of Simply Group based at Adelphi Mill, said: "We have never made a secret out of what we are doing here. We have run two consultations and have had to jump through lots of hoops.
"Not everybody will be happy but a lot of people are glad to see something happen at the church rather than it deteriorating further. We are moving the gravestones sympathetically, it’s a slow process and we are trying hard to move them without any breakages."
Mr Knight said design work is continuing and they hope to start work on the apartments in July.
