Matthew Dorrance Our Local Voice | Ein Llais Lleol
Powys County Council is selling the Grade II listed chapels at Brecon Cemetery without any consultation with the local community.
In an email to local Councillor Matthew Dorrance, Powys County Council said that the chapels have “been declared surplus to the Council’s requirements.”
The chapels are located in the cemetery grounds but the County Council has failed to give any assurances about their future use if sold.
The Grade II listed buildings are described by CADW as an “early example of a nineteenth century Gothic cemetery chapel, well-designed and preserved.” The chapels are listed along with the cemetery gatepiers and gates which were recently restored when CADW intervened after Powys County Council wrongly dismantled them.
Councillor Matthew Dorrance says he is concerned about the proposals and the Council’s uncaring and insensitive attitude.
The Brecon, St John Ward Councillor said:
“Many families in Brecon, just like mine, have people they care about resting in Brecon Cemetery. The proposal to sell the chapels with no consultation or information about what they could be used for is worrying people who have laid the ones they care about to rest there.
“I’ve been contacted by residents who are very concerned about what the proposals will mean and how the sale of the chapels will impact on the cemetery. The Council needs to understand those concerns and listen to local people.
“Powys County Council’s refusal to talk to local people about their plans shows how out of touch with the community they really are.”