Historic lodge set to be dismantled to create more burial space as repairs are carried out at a cemetery chapel
A historic lodge is set to be dismantled to create more burial space in the city as part of a major project which will also see a chapel restored.
The Dissenter's Chapel in Highland Road Cemetery is undergoing much-needed work as part of a £65,000 project which will see repairs being made to the roof, walls, rendering and floor joists. Designed by the renowned architect Thomas Ellis-Owen, this Grade II listed building is a unique Byzantine style brick cemetery chapel and the work will safeguard its future.
Portsmouth City Council is also planning an investment of £200,000 to restore the Grade II listed neo-Gothic West Chapel in Kingston Cemetery, which will bring this building back into use.
But at Milton Cemetery, plans are underway to sensitively dismantle the cemetery lodge, which is not listed and has been empty for over a decade as cemetery managers no longer live on site. It comes as the building was deemed unsafe to be used as an office for the cemeteries team, the council said, and in its current state does not give a good impression to those entering the cemetery.
The city council said that many options have been explored to bring it back into use, but the position within the cemetery means these are impractical, and the dangerous condition of the building means it must be removed. However, once cleared the space can used for burials, creating more space at a time when developing a new cemetery in the city is difficult due to lack of available sites.
An ecological survey has been carried out, and the garden of the lodge will remain as it is during the work to minimise disruption. In the future, work will take place to tidy this area up so the public can enjoy it, whilst minimising the impact on wildlife habitats. The toilet block behind the lodge will be kept, with investment sought in the coming years to improve it the council added.
The council explained its heritage strategy uses a scoring system to decide which heritage projects to support with each project rated from 0 to 10 in three areas:
- Status (how officially recognised or protected the site is),
- Condition (how much repair or attention it needs), and
- Potential Impact (how much benefit the project could bring socially, economically, culturally, and environmentally).
The higher the total score, the higher the priority for support ensuring the council’s funds are spent on the projects with the highest priority. It said that Milton Cemetery Lodge scores low across all three categories. It said it lacks official heritage status, is not listed on any 'at risk' registers, and offers minimal social, economic, or environmental impact if restored. As a result, the council said investment in the building cannot be justified.
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Cllr Steve Pitt, Leader of Portsmouth City Council said: "In an ideal world, the council would be able to invest in all of the buildings in its care but after seeing over £110 million cut from our budget over the last 15 years, we have to make choices. The heritage strategy was specifically devised to help us make the best choices for the right reasons, to protect those buildings which have the most significance and the ability to be repurposed for future uses".
Since 2012, the council has invested almost £14.5 million into heritage projects across the city, which Mr Pitt said was vital to preserve the city’s history.
He said: “The city has a duty to its heritage, one that the council takes seriously. Our heritage strategy builds on the other recent heritage projects in the city including the redevelopment of the D-Day Story, the arrival of LCT 7074, the renovation of Victoria Park and the Hotwalls Studios project. More recent investment has seen repairs made to the Kings Theatre, Fort Widley and also the renovation of Hilsea Lido.