Upset residents launch petition against council's decision to sell cemetery lodge

Earlier this week Hadley and Leegomery Parish Council announced plans to sell the building – which sits at the front of Hadley Cemetery in Telford.

The council said the move would raise hundreds of thousands of pounds, which it intends to spend on community improvements.

It also pledged to consult with the community on what the money will be spent on.

But in response to the announcement a number of local residents voiced their frustration that the council had not consulted them over the decision to sell the building in the first place.

Now a petition has been launched to ' Save Hadley Cemetery Lodge'.

So far more than 400 people have pledged their support.

The building has previously been home to the cemetery manager and has been in possession of the council for a number of years.

The council says the upkeep of the cemetery will be taken on by the council clerk's team.

A number of residents have responded to the move, with one stressing the importance of the lodge remaining part of the cemetery.

They said: "This is part of the cemetery and should stay part of the cemetery, not being sold to someone who will build some monstrosity and ruin it.

"My dad and other family members are there and I don't want these peaceful places to be disrupted - leave it alone."

Announcing its decision, the council statement had stressed that it would make sure the cemetery is not impacted by the sale.

A spokeswoman said: “The cemetery is an important part of all of our lives and we will ensure that it continues to be well looked after, providing a space for reflection and to remember loved ones.

“It is not unusual for cemetery lodges to be owned privately. The sale of the lodge could raise hundreds of thousands of pounds towards projects that will improve our neighbourhood and see the costs of maintaining the building also re-invested into the community.

“We will be consulting residents about how this money is used.”

The petition can be found at change.org/p/save-hadley-cemetery-lodge.