AN EXTENSION to a cemetery adjoining a church on Bodmin Moor is being sought by the church council responsible for its operation.

The Blisland with Temple Parochial Church Council is seeking permission to convert a plot of agricultural land measuring 578 square metres into an extension to its cemetery at the St Protus and St Hyacinth church in Blisland.

In a representation to Cornwall Council, the parochial church council is seeking an exemption to ‘biodiversity net gain’ regulations by detailing how the proposed extension to the cemetery would operate.

In a statement to the local planning authority, the council stated: “The Parochial Church Council (PCC) is of the view that this Application is for a change of use with no ‘operational development’ and that it does not represent ‘development’.

“This is because of the context of the proposed change of use where there will be no physical alteration to the plot of land in question, just tidying up and some reseeding of the site (such that it will remain an entirely verdant plot) and any necessary repairs to existing walls and fences. Accordingly, the PCC is of the view that it is not necessary to establish that “the biodiversity value attributable to the development exceeds the pre-development biodiversity value of the onsite habitat”.

The parochial church council stated that in its view, planning permission is not required for the site and thus aims to change the use of the land from its present status as agricultural.

They added: “The Site is a verdant plot of 578 square metres in area that was originally mowed lawn but has now, through neglect, become largely overgrown with nettles. As the Site is currently deemed to be agricultural land the PCC believes that all of the work needed to make the plot suitable for use as a graveyard – removal of weeds and self-seeded shrubbery, re-seeding as necessary, minor repairs to walls and fences – could be carried out without the need for planning permission. However, in order to preserve its limited funds, the PCC would prefer to defer the expense of carrying out the tidying up operation until such time as change of use permission for the Site to be used as a graveyard has been obtained.”

The proposals have received the support of Blisland Parish Council, who said: “Blisland Parish Council considered the application and resolved to support it.”

Cornwall Council are currently considering the application, which can be found using planning reference PA25/02232.