Latest news with #burialground
BBC News
07-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Plans for 600-home Berkswell village expansion
A village with a population of about 3,000 people could see 600 new homes David Wilson Homes Mercia has applied to Solihull Council for outline permission to develop an area at Hawkshurst Moor Farm in the site, on Broad Lane, could also get a "multi-faith burial ground" with space for a maximum of 425 burials per developer said it was needed because cemeteries in Birmingham, Solihull and Coventry were "close to capacity and will not be able to serve the long term needs for these areas". A previous plan to build a solar farm on part of the 67-hectare site was turned down by the authority and a government planning inspector in the late 2010s as it was deemed inappropriate development of the green is now under way on the latest proposal, with a closing date for submission of views of 29 July. This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
24-06-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Cardiff's Trelai Park excavation discovers Bronze Age burial site
An archaeological dig has uncovered an ancient burial ground underneath popular playing fields in Cardiff. Volunteers at a heritage project excavation said they found a number of pits at Trelai Park near Caerau Hillfort, with at least three holding a small amount of cremated human remains. The remains, which date back to the Bronze Age, were found next to a roundhouse previously discovered by the project which was said to potentially be the earliest house found in Oliver Davis, Caerau and Ely Rediscovering (CAER) Heritage Project co-director, said the discovery was "hugely exciting" and provided a window into the lives of Cardiff residents from over 3,000 years ago. "The fact that the cremations have been buried so close to the roundhouse suggests they may have been laid there to remember cherished family members," he said."It could also mean the site held a ceremonial significance to people at the time." The fourth phase of the project's archaeological investigation also discovered a new structure next to the roundhouse previously found. It was next to the foundations of this smaller building where the pits were located, along with evidence of a timber circle further down which experts believe may date to the Early Bronze Age around 2000-1600 are now working to piece together the significance of the latest finds, which suggest the site could be more expansive than previously Davis said: "The smaller structure we have found sits very near to the original roundhouses we discovered in 2023, these structures were luxurious and spacious."He added the smaller structure could be an additional house for another family, or maybe an ancillary building used for preparing food and craft-working. Trelai Park is a well-used location for sports teams and dog walkers and is half a mile from Caerau Hillfort, a heritage site of national significance. Neolithic, Iron Age, Roman and medieval finds have all previously been discovered by archaeologists at the site. Dr Davis said the area, which was only 650 ft (200m) away from a Roman Villa, had been an important place over thousands of years. "It's providing us with a window onto some of the very earliest Cardiff residents who were living here in Caerau and Ely over three millennia ago," he said. "The work now begins to carefully dig through each layer, sifting through the materials we are finding here on an hourly basis. It's a real team effort." Volunteer Hannah Secker, 19, from Grangetown, has finished her A Levels and wants to study archaeology and ancient history at degree said: "It's unbelievable finding artefacts that could be 3,000 years old and thinking about the people that have walked on this ground before us."Dan Queally is due to graduate from Cardiff University with a BA in archaeology and chose to do his dissertation on the CAER project. "It's not just about the archaeology that I've learned about, it's about seeing the difference a project like this can make to people here and now," he said. "It's been a big perspective shift for me." According to Dr David Wyatt, CAER co-director, the finds from Trelai Park "just keep coming". "It's not difficult to argue that Trelai could be one of the most important parks for heritage in south Wales," he said. "It really has all the potential to be a popular and thriving tourist attraction which could hugely benefit the local communities."Mike Tate, headteacher of Cardiff West Community High School metres away from the site, said the school saw real value in its links to the project. "Our pupils learn about the history of the area in which they live and they, literally, get their hands on the past."
BBC News
18-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Developer submits plans for revived Perton cemetery
A new nine hectare burial ground as part of a revived cemetery scheme has been for a cemetery on the site in Perton, Staffordshire, was granted in 2001, followed by approval for access via Jenny Walkers Lane in 2003, but apart from some landscaping, there is no clear evidence the development started. The latest proposals for the site, which is near Wolverhampton, are now set to be considered by planning officers at South Staffordshire Council, with a decision expected later this proposal represented "an acceptable and appropriate form of development within the green belt", a planning and design statement said. The new application is substantially the same as previous granted applications, including a 30-space car park in a similar place.A memorial garden is also planned at the centre of the development would "provide a significant benefit to wildlife", an initial biodiversity study site is within the green belt, which means any development is inappropriate and should only be granted in very special circumstances. In this case, the applicant noted national planning policy included cemeteries and burial grounds as an exception, provided the openness of the green belt was preserved. This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
