‘Very traumatic’: New road built over graves in Powys, families say
Family members have been left “upset” after they say a road was built over graves in a chapel cemetery.
Planning permission to build a parking area at Bethany Chapel in Newtown, Powys, had been granted, but questions have been raised about an access road allegedly built over up to seven graves.
Dolafon Trust, which is part of Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, said it was “meticulously adhering to the planning consent”.
Members of Jackie Davies’ family are buried in the graveyard in mid Wales and has been leading a campaign to have it restored.
Ms Davies told Sky News that descendants were angry and upset.
“It’s clear that they’ve been disturbed, it’s clear that headstones have got posts [that have] been put through into the graves,” she said.
“It’s all very traumatic, it’s all very disturbing to see. It’s sickening to see.”
She said the experience had affected her teenage daughters.
“They’ve witnessed bulldozers, diggers and people trampling all over graves with no headstones when we’ve always taught our children you walk around a grave, you don’t walk over a grave,” she said.
Pic: Jackie Davies
William and Martha White’s graves are two of those under the new road, according to their descendants.
A great-grandson of theirs, who asked not to be named, told Sky News his family was upset.
“We’re obviously upset that their graves have been obliterated,” he said.
“We’re asking for a reinstatement. A stop to the work and reinstatement of the graveyard as it was.”
He called on Powys County Council’s planning department to act quickly and intervene.
“We would like to thank everyone involved in the campaign, Jackie Davies and her family and Councillor Elwyn Vaughan and our Senedd member Mr Cefin Campell,” he added.
Powys county councillor Elwyn Vaughan told Sky News six or seven graves had been impacted.
“In terms of the work done, they had planning permission to do a new car park on new land, farm land, next to the chapel,” he said.
“But that is quite a different location, especially the access, to what has actually happened.”
Cllr Vaughan claimed the planning officer had not visited the site and said Powys County Council should apologise.
He said respect should be shown to “frustrated” descendants and the topsoil should be restored in the section of graveyard where the road is currently built.
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A spokesperson for Powys County Council said planning permission was granted in June 2022 for the change of use of land to form a parking area.
“The council has an open planning enforcement case in relation to this site and is in the process of investigating whether works undertaken on site, including the erection of wooden poles, are in compliance with the approved planning permission(s),” the spokesperson added.
“The council has informed the Ministry of Justice and the police regarding possible disturbance to graves.”
Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed it was investigating a report of criminal damage at Bethany Chapel.
Pic: Jackie Davies
‘Swift action’
A spokesperson for the Dolafon Trust said it had not been made directly aware of the ongoing investigations by Powys County Council or Dyfed-Powys Police.
“Members of our congregation have lived and worked in the area for many years,” the spokesperson said.
“Guided by our Christian faith, our priority has always been to be good neighbours and support the local community, including through extensive charitable activity.”
The spokesperson added they understood relatives of people laid to rest at Bethany Chapel were “concerned by our ongoing restoration works”.
“We wish to reassure all that we deeply value the sanctity of places of worship and are meticulously adhering to the planning consent granted by Powys County Council,” they added.
The spokesperson confirmed the development of the site was granted while it was under previous ownership.
“We have since worked closely with the council and other relevant authorities to ensure that our plans are delivered sensitively and appropriately,” they said.
“We are taking all feedback from the community extremely seriously, and took swift action to relocate fencing that was not up to our high standards of care for this restoration.
“As part of our efforts to re-establish the chapel as a place of worship, these works continue with the utmost respect and compassion.”
Counter-terrorism police are investigating after an incident involving a crossbow and a firearm left two women injured in Leeds.
Police were called to Otley Road at 2.47pm on Saturday to reports of a “serious incident involving a man seen with weapons”, West Yorkshire Police said.
Officers arrived at the scene to find two women injured – and a 38-year-old man with a self-inflicted injury. All three were taken to hospital, with the man held under arrest, but their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
“Two weapons have been recovered from the scene, which were a crossbow and a firearm,” Counter Terrorism Policing North East said in a statement.
The incident happened on the ‘Otley Run’ pub crawl, with one venue saying it was closed for the evening due to “unforeseen circumstances”.
Officers guard one of the crime scenes
Officers inside the cordon in Leeds
Counter Terrorism Policing’s statement added: “Due to the circumstances surrounding the incident, Counter Terrorism Policing North East have taken responsibility for leading the investigation with the support of West Yorkshire Police.
“Extensive enquiries continue to establish the full circumstances and explore any potential motivation.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described it as a “serious violent incident” and said she was being kept updated by police.
“Thank you to the police and emergency services for their swift response,” she said. “My thoughts are with the victims and all those affected by this attack.”
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Wrexham AFC have been promoted for the third season in a row.
The North Wales-based side has gone from the National League to the Championship in just three seasons, under its Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
Wrexham were second in the table and had a run of eight games unbeaten ahead of their match against Charlton Athletic on Saturday, which they won 3-0.
Wrexham’s James McClean lifts the League One trophy. Pic: PA
Wrexham’s Dan Scarr celebrates with the fans on the pitch after Wrexham won promotion to the Championship. Pic: PA
It is the first time any club has been promoted for three consecutive seasons within the top five tiers of English football.
The third oldest association football club in the world, Wrexham AFC was bought by Reynolds and McElhenney in 2020, and has since been the subject of a Disney+ documentary, Welcome To Wrexham.
Reynolds, wearing a Wrexham sweatshirt, and McElhenney were pictured celebrating each goal, and after the game, as the fans came onto the pitch at the SToK Cae Ras (Racecourse Ground) to celebrate the victory with the players.
Wrexham co-owners Rob McElhenney (L) and Ryan Reynolds and Ryan’s wife Blake Lively, before the match. Pic: PA
Both stars came onto the pitch after the supporters returned to the stands.
Speaking to Sky Sports, McElhenney praised those behind the scenes, referring to “so many that don’t get the credit they deserve, people who aren’t talked about”.
Reynolds said bringing success back to the club “seemed like an impossible dream” when they arrived in North Wales in 2020.
Wrexham’s Sam Smith celebrates in front of the fans after Wrexham won promotion to the Championship. Pic: PA
He put the three promotions down to “the coaching staff, the greatest dressing room” and an “all for one, one for all” attitude throughout the club, adding he was “speechless with their commitment and their emotion”.
As for the mouth-watering prospect of another promotion to the promised land of the Premier League, the pair agreed it was “for tomorrow”, before ending the interview with a joint mic-drop.
Veteran striker Steven Fletcher said, “as soon as I came to this club, I knew it was something special. We want to go again. We’ll reset in the summer, take a break and go again”.
“It has been a success.”
Just Stop Oil (JSO) insists it’s been “successful” – as its members ceremoniously hang up their orange high-vis vests during a march in central London.
Since the group formed three years ago, it’s drawn attention and criticism for its colourful, controversial protests, which ranged from disrupting sporting events to throwing soup on Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers, and climbing on gantries over the M25. It sprayed orange paint over Stonehenge, and cost police forces tens of millions of pounds.
Those days are now behind it; to the relief of many.
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As a few hundred activists marched through London on Saturday, blocking roads as they went; taxi drivers blared their horns and football fans shouted abuse from the pavement.
The PA News Agency filmed the moment a white minivan seemed to drive towards a group of protesters blocking the road.
Protesters shouted “I’m being pushed back!” to police, while the driver could be heard shouting “What about my right to get home?” to the officers gathered.
But JSO never set out to be popular. And it believes its tactics – though hated – have been successful; thanks to the new Labour government’s commitment to not issue new oil or gas exploration licences.
That’s why, it says, its ceasing direct action.
JSO hangs up its high-vis jackets in central London on Saturday
A washing line of high-vis jackets signifies JSO’s disbanding
“This moment marks the success of the JSO campaign – our demand was to end new oil and gas licences and that is now government policy.
“As a result of which four billion barrels of oil are being kept under the North Sea. The campaign has reached a natural end.”
Dr Oscar Berglund, senior lecturer in international public and social policy, disagrees that JSO is disappearing because it’s been “successful”.
He told Sky News policing strength and public perception might have more to do with it.
“They have very low levels of popularity. About 17% of the British population are kind of broadly supportive of what Just Stop Oil do. And that’s too low to recruit.
“It’s difficult to recruit members to something that is that unpopular, and then that a lot of people for good reason I think have kind of stopped believing in that kind of disruption as a means to achieve meaningful change.”
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One thing it did change is the law.
Policing commentator Graham Wettone tells us: “Obstruction of the highway, obstruction of rail networks for example, these are specific offences now.
“It’s given the police more tactics, more methods, more offences they can consider, even stopping and searching somebody who may have something to either lock themselves on or glue themselves to something.”
A JSO activist holds a picture of an imprisoned colleague
Emma Smart was held in prison for her activism with both Insulate Britain and Just Stop Oil.
“The high-vis might be going away,” she tells me, “but we aren’t.”
“These people aren’t going anywhere, we are still committed, dedicated, terrified by the failings of this government and governments around the world.”
JSO activists throw orange paint at van Gogh’s sunflowers
Orange smoke set off by JSO protesters at Stonehenge
She hopes for a time of reflection before it returns in a new form but says the need for climate activism is stronger than ever.
She also believes that while most people dislike JSO tactics, it still raises awareness of the cause and might even push people to more moderate campaign groups.
Just Stop Oil came behind other, similarly controversial climate campaign groups like Insulate Britain and Extinction Rebellion, and as it says goodbye, its disruptive methods have been seized upon by other organisations like the Pro-Palestinian Youth Justice.
The infamous Just Stop Oil orange vests might be going away, but the individual activists, their cause and campaign tactics feel here to stay.
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