Dramatic halt as council spooked by backlash over cemetery plan

Darfield Cemetery chapel dates from 1914 but has been out of use in recent years, with a planning notice announcing its proposed demolition appearing on the building, from Barnsley Council’s bereavement service.

That caused an outcry among some residents, who called for it to be renovated and brought into community use, in a similar way to a chapel in Wombwell.

And Barnsley Council went into immediate reverse – halting the proposals to allow further discussions.

Cllr James Higginbottom, Barnsley Council’s Cabinet Spokesperson for Environment and Highways, said: "Ensuring that our cemeteries are sustainable and able to meet the needs of our communities, both now and in the future, in an integral part of the Bereavement Services planning process.

"The proposal to remove the disused chapel in Darfield Cemetery would create additional space for 100 cremation plots that many families are now taking up as a means of remembering their loved ones.

"On a personal note, there are many generations of my family buried in Darfield Cemetery. I entirely understand the emotional connection generations of Darfield residents have to the cemetery. Ensuring that future generations can also pay their respects to loved ones is essential in the coming years.

"In response to feedback from local councillors and members of the public, we are pausing the current demolition plans to enable further discussion to take place at a local level and to gauge the community's view on how best to ensure that Darfield Cemetery can continue to meet the needs of local residents both now and in the future."

Plans are already in place for to form a Friends of Darfield Cemetery group and Cllr Kevin Osborne, who represents the area, said he supported that idea: “The roots of our community run deep and the creation of a Friends of Darfield Cemetery group will cememt those community bonds.

"I will work alongside anyone who wants to improve the cemetery for all, moving forwards.”

The demolition proposal had sparked an online debate, with a suggestion that the building was used by roosting bats, which have protection in planning law.

Others were upset that the plan to remove the chapel had come without any prior consultation.