VILLAGERS have been left raging after their loved ones’ bodies face being tarmacked over for a 12-space car park.
Residents of Bonymaen in South Wales believe their 19th-century chapel is in danger of being transformed.
Owners of Adulam Chapel submitted a controversial plan to erect nine flats and use the cemetery for a 12-space car park.
But the resolution sparked a wave of opposition from citizens deeply concerned about the resting place of their loved ones.
Transformation means that your buried loved ones can simply be covered in tar.
Richard Christensen, who lives across the street from the chapel, visits his cousin’s burial site.
He lashed out: “You can’t apply asphalt to someone’s body. That’s a resounding ‘no. ‘”
Another 1,500 people joined the opposition by signing an online petition to arrest the owners.
Neea Powell, a member of the opposition group, called the parking lot “very disrespectful. “
Her mother and aunt also joined forces, as Neea’s grandmother was buried there in December 2022.
Powell added that they needed to see the chapel empty for too long.
While acknowledging the need for housing, he “will not back down” from impeding the project.
She also said the council has recently submitted huge housing plans for the land in the same area.
This aims to address the housing shortage.
The beloved chapel was built around 1850 and renovated in the early 1960s before its completion in July 2022.
Despite renovations, the cemetery remained open to the public.
It was sold for the modest sum of £27,500 to the new owners.
But they were obligated to the cemetery and allowed prolonged burials at no cost.
However, a planning officer’s assessment casted doubts found that it is unlikely that Swansea Council would approve it.
The report raises concerns about irrelevant design technique and the potential impact on headstones.
It said, “[This] can further magnify design technique irrelevant to overall development. “
Bill Sandhu, one of the chapel’s owners, said it won feedback from locals in the area.
And claimed a similar chapel re-development had taken place elsewhere.
Addressing resident’s criticism, he said: “We don’t want to upset anyone. It is a big space which could be used better, and we know housing is in demand.”
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