“Resident parishioners, Guildfordians and visitors are shocked and horrified at the prospect of the graves being removed, remains dug up and the trees being felled for development.

“We have been resident parishioners for 35 years. The churchyard is an oasis of green in a frenetic place, full of wonderful bird song, well maintained and so beautiful and atmospheric.”

Donna has also suggested that the funds the church aims to raise by the selling off the land for its proposed building extension could be raised by other means.

She said: “St John’s could follow the fundraising examples of Guildford Cathedral, Holy Trinity and St Mary’s Churches. Theirs included Heritage Lottery funding matched by their own fundraising involving the community. For example, Guildford Cathedral’s latest Make your Mark project and the original Buy a Brick scheme.

“St John’s can achieve it’s proposed development whilst keeping its west churchyard. It can create a legacy making a contribution and conserving a tangible piece of history and open green space for future generations.”

She adds that the Guildford Greenbelt Group (GGG) is also opposing the plans. In a statement she received from GGG’s Susan Parker, she wrote: “While our focus as an organisation is on rural open space, we are all also extremely concerned at the potential loss of significant public open spaces in the town, particularly when the area is important in terms of heritage, trees which are of significance and areas of community importance. The churchyard is an important community open space, it has important trees and it has walls of architectural importance.”

The obelisk is part of the memorial to the Paynter family. Samuel Paynter was rector in the 19th century, and was succeeded by his son Francis. The Paynters played an important role in funding the building of other churches in Guildford including Christchurch, St Saviour’s and Emmanuel.

The rector added: “As part of our consultation that included public notices, we delivered 120 postcards about the proposal to local residents and held a public exhibition to which about 21 people came. We have had people very much supporting of plans, saying that it is good and that something is being done to a derelict churchyard.”

Mr Wodward pointed out that, to his knowledge, the west churchyard has few visitors, but sadly there have on occasions been homeless people using it as somewhere to sleep.

He has been the rector of St John’s for nine years and says the church is growing with an average Sunday attendance of 200 worshipers, with up to 70 children too.

St John’s also welcomes many other people to its events and regular activities, such as a lunch club than caters for about 50 people each month. Its Stirling Centre that adjoins the church is booked out every day of the week, and in any given week St John’s is used by an average of 700 people.

The Stirling Centre on south side of the church.

The overall scheme for the church is to build a new church centre that can be used by the whole community. The proposed building will be on the north side of the church. It will be two stories high with the first floor sunk lower into the ground than the church itself.

Mr Woodward said: “Once we have built the new extension we will demolish the Stirling Centre that is now not at all adequate for our own use and for hirers and visitors. The kitchen, for example, is tiny and not suitable when it comes to catering for large numbers.

“On that site we will be able to create about 20 much-needed car parking spaces. This will take pressure off nearby roads where some of our visitors sometimes park their cars.

“Ours is possibly the only community building in the Stoke part of Guildford and we need to improve it for our church members and the wider community.”

Looking towards the north side of the church where the new centre would be built.

If the church succeeds in its plans to close the west churchyard and then sells the land, Mr Woodward said that the money it hopes to generate won’t fund the new build entirely. He said the church would undertake further fundraising and would look at grant schemes, perhaps similar to the ones other local churches have pursued, similar to those highlighted by Donna Collinson.

There are, of course, worries from those who do not want to see the land developed. It is likely that neighbouring land where the current fire station stands will also be earmarked for development once Guildford’s new fire station is open and the old one closed.

If the graveyard site is eventually allowed to be sold and a developer then submits a planning application, Guildford borough councillor for Friary & St Nicolas ward Caroline Reeves (lib-Dem) said: “If there is ever a planning applications we must look at the trees on the site. I support the idea of a green route into Guildford town centre. These values should also be maintained on the land owned by Surrey County Council on the ‘corner site’ by the Stoke interchange.

“St John’s Church has been conducting its consultations in a very fair and thorough way, and I support that.”