Development protest at the General Cemetery

as DEEP PURPLE SAID on fireball 1971 "no one came" never mind.
nathanoj sewad

I walked down to the protest and was disappointed to see the numbers there were so poor, I know the weather wasn’t brilliant but don’t people care? Is a festival with Zion Train more important than your environment and community? I have always had my doubts about the commitment of the coulter-culture, sadly this just reinforces it. Doesnt the efforts of the peace in the park team, friends of the generaL cemetery, the lantern carnival, etc count for anything? Anyway, imo, Sheffield Coucil are guilty Of 'Cultural Amnesia'! they shopuld be named and shamed and a campign against these proposals and wider yuppiefication should be instigated starting with a public meeting

So what next?



btw, i hope the original poser of this comment on the petition doesn't mind me posting this, but it is a very elequent and detailed criticism of the proposal and the ideology behind it.

from the petition

'I wish to register most strongly my objections to the planned development of the Anglican Chapel. Salvaged from neglect and almost total devastation this cemetery has undergone a programme of restoration which has been funded by the charity and goodwill of a rare breed of people not motivated by profit. Their tireless work was latterly rewarded with a National Lottery grant in order to preserve: a great part of the history and heritage of Sheffield;wonderful Egyptian architecture; many listed monuments and bulidings; a place of education and aesthetic value; geology, flora and forna and not least of all a burial ground. As far as I am aware the Lottery grant was not for the benefit of developers riding on the backs' of others efforts. Would the potential developers have been interested in the Anglican Chapel back in 1950 or even 1990? I think not! The cemetery and its grounds, much designed by Robert Marnock a protege of Capability Brown, offer an oasis of rugged charm, peace and tranquility in an area already dominated by motor cars, and exploited by landlords, retailers and business people who otherwise care little for the area. Too many beautiful buildings in Sheffield have been handed over to developers, even obliterated in the name of profit- the General Cemetery is a Conservation area and unusual though it may seem, it is for EVERYONE to enjoy for free- not just a few at great profits. Leave it that way.'

The fight’s to save the Chapel is going brilliantly, but it ain’t over yet: Mr Wilkinson is submitting new plans. If we’re going to fight him off, we need to keep public attention focussed on the campaign. Here’s how to do it, and have fun at the same time: ZOMBIE MARCH!

The gory details…

• Gather this Friday (28th) at the Cemetery Gatehouse (end of Cemetery Avenue, off Ecclesall Road) between 1 and 2 pm, to get into your finest zombie glad-rags and make-up. The awesome folk at Party Town on Eccy Road are sponsoring the event, allowing us free costume rental (small deposit required) and make-up for the day, but costumes will be limited so please try to bring your own. Ragged/Victorian/skeletal, or any combination of the three, but dressing up isn’t mandatory.

• Around 2.30pm, we’ll shamble along Ecclesall Road, Hanover Way, Broomspring Lane and Division Street, to arrive at the Town Hall around 4.30-5.00pm, where we’ll hand in the 3500-signature petition and hopefully talk to the press/TV (release to go out on Wednesday).

• We could also do with bearers to help carry a coffin – don’t panic, it’s actually very light, and we’ll be taking it in turns.

• Got a camera? Take good photos? Bring it!

• Also, make and bring banners - "Save the Chapel", "Hands off our Home, Mr Wilkinson", "Zombies for Justice", “RIP Sheffield General Cemetery…?” – witty if possible, but please, nothing that’s going to offend anyone.

• We’ve got quite a few people on board already – at least 30 – but the more the better, so please forward this to anyone you think might be interested.

• Dole moles, summering students, ladies and gentlemen of leisure: no, you DON’T have something better to do. Take a day off sunbathing, and make a difference. If Mr Wilkinson and his kind are allowed to carry on regardless, there’s going to be nowhere left in this city to sunbathe.

That’s all you need to know. If you haven’t heard the latest developments regarding the Chapel plans, please read on…

A grand total of 3500 signatures have now been collected by the Save the Chapel campaign – thanks to everyone who signed, and to everyone who has been involved in the various events and actions that have made the campaign such a success. It’s worked so well, in fact, that Mr Wilkinson (who submitted the plans) is now running scared, and is aiming to submit another application on the Chapel with more "sympathetic" plans: probably less visible alterations to the outside of the chapel, and almost certainly less Cemetery land pinched for private garden space, but you can bet your bottom dollar that the internal structure will be pretty much the same – Mr Wilkinson says he wants to build a ‘family’ home, which under current proposals involves the creation of six double bedrooms, all with en suite facilities. In other words, this luxury flats by the back door, but the new plans are likely to be accepted by the board on planning grounds – unless we keep up the pressure. Keep your eyes and ears open for more events, a new petition, and new details of how, where and where to raise official objections. We’ve already beaten this nonsense once. We can do it again.

Kum By Ya, people. See you Friday.