Ipsley Meadow Cemetery Pause Cautiously Welcomed

Today's news that the Council have paused plans to turn Ipsley Meadow into a cemetery and complete a full review of options has been cautiously welcomed by Arrow Valley East candidate Mark Tomes. Speaking of the decision Mark said "I have been working with local campaigners on this issue for many months and the Liberal Democrats here in Redditch launched our campaign to stop the proposals back in December 2020. We have been encouraging local residents to lodge objections as well as asking local media outlets to cover the story. Just last week, BBC Hereford and Worcester ran the story as part of their breakfast show.

I sincerely hope that a full review will recognise the total unsuitability of Ipsley Meadow as a site for the proposed cemetery. I also hope that they listen to the near 700 objectors from across Redditch and neighbouring towns, and discard Ipsley Meadow completely so that it can continue to be enjoyed by local people both now and in the future".

However whilst welcome news, Liberal Democrats in Redditch are concerned that all this may be a political ploy by the Conservatives given that elections are just around the corner and their leader is standing for election as a County Councillor in the very District that Ipsley Meadows is located. The fear is that, once the elections are over, the plans to turn Ipsley Meadow into a cemetery will be rekindled.

Mark added "the fight to save Ipsley Meadow is far from over and we must not take our collective foot off the gas until it is confirmed that these terrible plans are scrapped once and for all. I urge local residents to lodge formal objections to the proposals on the Council's planning portal and to add their name to my campaign.

Mark's campaign to save Ipsley Meadow can be found here and the planning portal, where concerned residents can lodge their objections can be found here.

You can also sign up to receive emials from Mark by clicking here.