Question

To ask the Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, if the Church will take steps to improve the maintenance of Quarrington Hill Graveyard in County Durham.

The management of a churchyard that is legally open for further burials is the responsibility of the local Parochial Church Council. However the situation at Quarrington Hill Churchyard is complicated by it being situated on land subject to ongoing subsidence due to centuries of mine-works beneath the surface.

The parish church of St Paul, which originally sat within the churchyard, was demolished in 1993 due to this subsidence. This makes the management and safety of the site complicated, and a great challenge for the small local charity funded exclusively by the personal giving of a dedicated but small congregation.

The Parochial Church Council sought the closure of the churchyard by an Order in Council. This would have allowed the management of the churchyard to pass to the Local Authority, which has more resources available for a challenge of this nature. The application was refused, pending a more detailed geophysical survey to determine the safety or otherwise of further burials. I understand however that the costs of such a survey are themselves beyond the means of the Parochial Church Council.

The churchyard is open to visitors, following work to make access safe, but the long-term management of the War Graves and other family memorials will require significant resourcing.

The Acting Bishop of Durham is due to contact the Member for Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor about the future management and maintenance of the Commonwealth War Graves and the churchyard and will be able to advise him further.