Moves in Parliament to Protect Local Cemeteries after Experience of Threat to Cherry Lane

I have just tabled a motion in Parliament to secure greater protection for local cemeteries after the distress caused to local families from the threat to Cherry Lane cemetery resulting from BAA’s plans for a road through the cemetery.I have been working with members of the Save Cherry Lane Cemetery Campaign to see how we can secure greater protection for cemeteries against the threat of major developments such as roads, railway lines and new buildings. We are now confident that we have fought off the threat to our local cemetery but we do not want to risk BAA or any other body threatening us again. At the same time we want to help others who in the future might also be threatened in this way in the future. That is why we have launched a campaign in Parliament to press the Government for a swift review of the existing laws to protect cemeteries and to bring forward proposals for a reform of the legislation to give greater protection and security. We do not want to have to go through all the distress again of the threat to our cemetery and we do not want others to go through this either.

The Early Day Motion reads;

EDM 1220

Protection of Cemeteries

That this House recalls the distress caused to many families at the proposal by BAA as part of its plans for a third runway at Heathrow to drive a road through Cherry Lane Cemetery; and notes the families’ concern at the lack of legislative protection against this type of development and acknowledges that this results from a glaring contradiction in the Government policy towards cemeteries and the issue of exhumation, in which exhumations are required to be undertaken in a sensitive, cautious, respectful and caring manner, be subject to local consultation and, if objected to, to be abandoned, also using all methods of notification to next-of-kin and the community; further notes that in cases of major developments affecting cemeteries, exemplified by the Cherry Lane case, a bulldozer approach is taken, allowing for the overriding of objections and the ignoring of the right to be consulted; and therefore calls on the Government to undertake a swift review of the current law in relation to the protection of cemeteries with a view to bringing forward legislation that affords cemeteries suitable protection and avoids others undergoing the distress experienced by the Cherry Lane Cemetery relatives.

submitted by John on 31 Mar 2010 at 12:57