English Heritage Rejects Plea To List Stirling Grave Amid Church’s Plan To Sell-off Redundant Churchyard

Published on: 2 Mar, 2015
Updated on: 2 Mar, 2015

Breaking news surrounding plans by St John’s Church in Stoke Road to sell off its west churchyard to fund a new community building is that English Heritage has rejected an application to heritage-list the grave [the site of which is unclear] of Admiral Sir James Stirling, the first governor of Western Australia, saying it is “not sufficiently rare”.

The news was announced on the other side of the world on Sunday, March 1 – on the website of The Western Australian newspaper.

Admiral Sir James Stirling, the first governor of Western Australia, buried somewhere in St John’s Churchyard..

Its report states: that English Heritage designation co-ordinator Katy Mack told concerned Guildford residents by letter this week: “Although of national interest, the significance of Sir James Stirling’s contribution to British colonial history is not enough to make the grave worthy of inclusion on the National Heritage List for England.”

The report in The Western Australian newspaper adds: “St John’s Stoke Church in Guildford, Surrey, where Stirling is buried, plans to sell its churchyard for a housing development and is working through the Anglican Church’s approvals process.

“A spokesman for the Diocese of Guildford confirmed objections from ‘many West Australians’ were among the 150 responses received during a recent public consultation on the plan, after a report in The West Australian in January.

“Although overall the responses were split evenly, for and against, the church also received a British-based petition with 1,200 signatures urging it not to sell the land.

“St John’s values highly its links with WA and is working closely with the family descendants of Sir James and Lady Ellen Stirling and the hope of the church is that through this process a new, a fitting memorial will be created in their memory. The plans will now go before a bishop for consideration on April 22.”

The story about the plans published on The Guildford Dragon NEWS has received more comments from readers, for and against the church’s plans, than any other we have published.

More details about the latest developments to follow…

Looking towards the church from the west churchyard.

Responses to English Heritage Rejects Plea To List Stirling Grave Amid Church’s Plan To Sell-off Redundant Churchyard

Julian Lyon Reply

March 3, 2015 at 6:41 pm

This site is an important oasis in an increasingly developed urban area.

There is no reason why this site cannot contribute funds towards the proposed development of the hall on the other side of the road.

What it takes is for this site to be nominated as public open space – a pocket park – financed through the Section 106 obligations from developments in the vicinity.

Typically the reservation of some green space could carry a similar land value to the sale of it for residential development (as part of local schemes) and, as such, could achieve both sides’ goals.

It must be the case, though, that the reservation of an area such as this may allow higher density development on a nearby site simply because amenity space has been provided as part of that development.

I hope we can get a pragmatic outcome for all concerned by working together.