07/2018
You may have heard that there have been moves afoot to make some changes to the way St Paternus churchyard is managed. The churchyard has two sections – the newer area that is managed by the Parochial Church Council and will remain so, and the main section, which is designated as ‘closed’.
As things stand, the closed churchyard is maintained by Cormac on behalf of Cornwall County Council. It is currently cut 3 times a year. Budget constraints mean this is unlikely to increase and the current approach has led to a number of issues and complaints from the community.
For large parts of the year graves that are still tended are inaccessible, and some headstones are sustaining damage. Wildlife is suffering as the current mowing regime is encouraging the growth of aggressive species like hogweed to the detriment to other plants and the insects that depend on them. Appearance is largely subjective, but there is no doubt the churchyard does not currently give an appearance of being cared for.
A new community group going by the name of South Petherwin Cake and Rakers (does what it says on the tin!) have put together a management plan that will bring the management of the grass cutting back to the parish and improve access, biodiversity and appearance, supported by the Living Churchyards Initiative, which is a joint project between the Diocese of Truro and Cornwall Wildlife Trust. There are some hurdles to overcome in achieving this and the project will only be a success if the community is behind it.
To this end there will be a Community Consultation in the village hall on Friday 31st August, starting at 7.00pm. This will be a chance to hear in detail what is being proposed and to offer any comments or suggestions. In the meantime, if anyone is interested in getting involved, we have a Facebook group (South Petherwin Cake and Rakers) that you would be welcome to join.
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