St.James churchyard

[groove]

The Lancs Telegraph are reporting of plans to build a cultural centre including a bandstand, new seats and new entrances in the churchyard. Groove thinks this can only be good for the town.

[Acrylic-bob]

Which would be ok if it wasn't for the fact that there are still bodies buried there. Call me old fashioned but I really do object to burial grounds being used for anything else but burials.

[groove]

There also going to fell some of the trees Bob.....thinking about it, i can see a lot of objection to this. And like you said its sacred ground. But it has been done before at this and other sites in Accy.

[MargaretR]

The bandstand and seats will be ideal - it will isolate the drunks and druggies away from the market shoppers.

I am not sentimental about bodies.
No doubt they will be reburied with religious rites to pacify those have a religion.

[Tealeaf]

Isn't this conditional upon £30K worth of lottery money? And is that not in turn conditional upon the facility being a multi-cultural one? It could well mean the Accy Mela is moved down there for next year. You never know - it could well end up being a permanent camp site, as in St Paul's churchyard.

[Retlaw]

I was recently contacted by a member of the St James Church Committee, they only mentioned land scaping and tidying up the place.
I supplied them with a plan showing location of the burials sites, as all the grave stones were moved some years ago.
Retlaw.

[mobertol]

I hope they don't get allocated the money then -what an awful idea.

It's a lovely quiet green spot just out of the center -I sat in there on a blustery Saturday lunch-time at the end of October eating my sandwiches...I find calm aids the digestion

I am against the chopping down of trees on principle, unless they are diseased or are a danger.

Why ruin such a recogniseable and historical part of town...

Pics attached taken in August 2010...

[Boeing Guy]

Could not agree more, what a waste of money.

[groove]

The words elephant and white spring to mind.

[Atarah]

Accrington heritage site set for £125k revamp (From Lancashire Telegraph)

[ianakabigsy]

Accrington has had its fair share of white elephants a bandstand how often is the one un oak hill put to use 12 months and it would be a vandalised bedraggled lookin elephant ridiculous idea

[lancsdave]

Surely if you are going to build a bandstand in the town centre you actually put it in the town centre not on one of the side streets

[Gordon Booth]

You Hyndburn folk aren't short of a bit of brass, are you?
£30,000 lottery money so is that £90,000 from Hyndburn Council?
If it's already grassed £120,000 for an outside seating and performance area(doesn't mention bandstand), two entrances, four pillars and chopping down five trees seems quite a lot!
No wonder they can't replace Garindas favourite Town Centre benches, they must be very expensive.
Still, an outside performance area will take the pressure off the Market Hall!

[Less]

Originally Posted by Gordon Booth

Still, an outside performance area will take the pressure off the Market Hall!

All that crochet work will shrink out there.

[garinda]

'A planning application, which is part of a conservation area masterplan, proposes a “cultural heart of Accrington”
Accrington heritage site set for £125k revamp (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Personally, as the town's parish church, I think it's already the 'cultural heart of Accrington'.

'Saint James Church is to be found in the town centre of Accrington, in the middle of the only bit of green space. It is over 460 years old. The worship is what used to be known as 'Lancashire Low' offered with quiet devotion. A warm welcome awaits those who love or are searching for God in Christ Jesus.'
St James, Accrington - Lancashire | Diocese of Blackburn

I quite like the churchyard's relative peace, and quiet, as it is.

'In line with plans to open the church up for more community use, music rehearsal and performance, an outside seating and performance area will be created.'

'Performance area'?

Could be good, but judging from the quality of much of the culture we see in the borough, could be space for yet more crap.

Guess we'll just have to wait and see.