2,500 bodies to be exhumed to clear way for Liverpool development » Communities » 24dash.com

The Church of England plans to exhume 2,500 bodies in a church yard so a multimillion-pound apartments and office complex can be built along with a community centre in Liverpool.

Church bosses want to restore derelict St James Church near Toxteth and build a new community centre for youth groups and church activities next to it.

But they cannot afford the restoration.

So they have begun consultations about exhuming the bodies - mostly buried before 1851 - to enable construction of the three-storey offices and flats complex within the grounds.

A Diocese of Liverpool spokesman said the city's bishop, The Right Rev James Jones, backed the scheme and that preliminary excavations are planned to see if the work is feasible.

The spokesman said: "Church records show that there may be the remains of 2,500 bodies that the diocese may want to exhume and re-inter.

"The purpose of the exploration would be to discover the condition of the remains so that a sensible decision regarding the way forward can be taken."

The entire scheme is estimated to cost nearly £9m with £1.9m spent on church renovations.

The Rev Neil Short, who is overseeing the project, said there were inevitable sensitivities about plans for the church - which has been redundant for 35 years.

He said it is important for people disturbed by the exhumations "to see the whole scheme".