ST. EDWARD’S CHURCH
Church undergoes essential
maintenance work
s 2013 drew to a close essential works to repair
perimeter walls at St Edward’s Church in the
town got underway.
Staffordshire Moorlands District Council is
responsible for the maintenance of the churchyard,
which is now closed to new burials, and the Grade
II listed boundary walls, gates and gate piers which
have got into a state of urgent repair.
The Council has appointed Sneyd Building
Contractors Ltd, from Stoke-on-Trent, to carry out
a scheme of work which includes rebuilding the
wall between the steps and layby in Church Street
and part of the retaining wall in Church Lane as
well as localised repairs to the Church Street
railings, re-pointing stone work and other isolated
masonry repairs.
The £36,000 project is being jointly funded by
the Council and a Moorlands Partnership Board
grant.
The works will take around nine weeks in total
to complete and will be phased to reduce
disruption. Access to some areas, including parts
A
of the churchyard, will be restricted and there will
be no public parking in Church Lane, which will be
temporarily closed, or at the rear of the church.
The Council wrote to residents in the area to
make them aware of the temporary arrangements
and will work with the contractor to minimise the
disruption caused by the road closure. Anyone with
particular access requirements is asked to contact
the Council on 0345 605 3010.
Councillor Mark Deaville, the portfolio holder
with responsibility for cemeteries, told Leek Life
magazine: “These are essential maintenance works
that the Council is carrying out as part of our
responsibility to look after this closed churchyard.
“We’re mindful of the importance of ensuring
that people can still access the church itself, and
the services that it provides to the local
community, and we’re working closely with church
wardens to minimise disruption during this
period. I’d like to thank people for their patience
and understanding whilst we carry out these
necessary works.”
Leek Life January/February 2014 23