Blanche Cameron

What makes this situation even worse is that woods and meadows, memorials and graves are being destroyed because of the Council's discriminatory burial policy. Is there really not one of you who can admit that Southwark's burial policy is wrong? Discrimination is just another reason why Southwark should stop trying to make new burial plots in the Borough. Most inner London boroughs provide burial outside the inner city, for obvious reasons. If Southwark claims to want to provide burial for all residents who need it, they should fufil their 2012 promise to explore out of borough options. Our mission is simple, we're fighting to save the cemeteries as nature reserves with respect for the dead and woods and nature for the living - which means not digging up cemeteries or their green spaces for new burial plots. Blanche Cameron Friends of Camberwell Cemeteries / Save Southwark Woods campaign 07731 304 966 / [email protected] / www.savesouthwarkwoods.org.uk

Yes Penguin68 - Southwark's statement perfectly illustrates its religious discrimination. The cemeteries are not a visitor centre, this is a local authority burial service. Southwark claims to provide burial for all who seek it, 'especially those for whom burial is the only option'. But allocates just 10 Muslim burial plots a year for 30,000 Muslim residents experiencing around 270 deaths a year 'for whom burial is the only option'. Southwark has clearly decided to brazen it out - but the facts speak for themselves and we will continue to point it out. Blanche Cameron Friends of Camberwell Cemeteries / Save Southwark Woods campaign 07731 304 966 / [email protected] / www.savesouthwarkwoods.org.uk

I am genuinely shocked that many regular posters on here don't object to the religious discrimination of Southwark's burial service. Southwark Council has repeatedly dismissed residents' views - residents who want to keep the beautiful woods not cut them down, want to keep the graves and memorials, not destroy them, don't want war graves mounded over, don't want to be buried over the dead, and want to be genuinely consulted, not have the overwhelming response against Southwark's burial developments brushed aside. The Council must stop pretending that all this destruction will provide burial for all residents who seek it, 'especially those for whom burial is the only option'. It won't - they know it and faith leaders have told them to their face. It's Southwark Council's duty to investigate the religious discrimination. They must do a Borough Burial Needs Assessment, as recommended by Harriet Harman in February 2007. The fact Sothwark has not done this shows again an unwillingness to admit their burial service does not provide for all. We will go on campaigning for the cemeteries to be declared nature reserves,and pointing out along the way the inequality in Southwark's treatment of residents of different religions. Blanche Cameron Friends of Camberwell Cemeteries / Save Southwark Woods campaign 07731 304 966 / [email protected] / www.savesouthwarkwoods.org.uk

Oddlycurious, whatever you think of me or Lewis personally, you haven't answered the question, is it OK for Councils to discriminate against residents on grounds of faith? No it isn't. We spend time highlighting this because Southwark uses the pretence of 'burial for all' to dig up the cemeteries. To genuinely provide burial for all - especially those for whom burial is the only option - Southwark would have to provide it out of the borough. They promised to investigate this in 2012 and never have. These are Southwark's phoney claims not ours. Blanche Cameron Friends of Camberwell Cemeteries / Save Southwark Woods campaign 07731 304 966 / [email protected] / www.savesouthwarkwoods.org.uk

It is appalling, you're right ? it is a horrific tragedy that highlights again how Councils discriminate and exclude and victimise people and pretend to be democratic while in reality often doing the opposite. Southwark claims to provide burial for all, especially those for whom burial is the only option. But its 30,000 Muslim residents experience around 270 deaths a year. Southwark provides ten 'Muslim area' burial plots. If you want to get angry, get angry at Councils that exclude and discriminate and divide people for phoney reasons. We are fighting to save our beautiful cemeteries, their woods and nature and graves. Southwark's religious discrimination is just another reason why Southwark are unfit to run a burial service. Read the report on April burial stakeholder meeting here when Southwark's own Multi Faith Forum Chair and others presented Cllr Wingfield with the facts: http://savesouthwarkwoods.org.uk/council-ignores-discrimination/4593814916 Blanche Cameron Friends of Camberwell Cemeteries / Save Southwark Woods campaign 07731 304 966 / [email protected] / www.savesouthwarkwoods.org.uk

Last night's planning meeting went exactly as we expected. The Councillors ignored the results of their own 2016 consultation where 86% of respondents said they didn't want any burial on the site. They ignored nearly 500 statutory objections. They received just one single written comment in support. No-one spoke last night to defend the project - not a ward Councillor nor any resident. They disregarded their own ecologist's recommendations for meadow burial and representations by both Cemetery groups - the​ Camberwell Cemeteries Working Group and ourselves - against the application. Southwark will destroy a beautiful meadow for just a few years of burial plots. And when they have used up that area, they will go after other areas of the Cemetery, either to dig up the dead or use the sports fields or the allotments. Our report is here: http://savesouthwarkwoods.org.uk/southwark-burial-undemocratic/4593911998 The photo is of the meadow that will be lost as a result of last night?s decision. And at least Lewis doesn?t hide behind a username, and is prepared to defend what he believes publicly. Why not join us on 25th June 2pm at Camberwell New Cemetery gates to protest Southwark's lack of consultation of families over plans to dig up thousands of graves? http://savesouthwarkwoods.org.uk/families-protest-grave-robbery/4593842405 Blanche Cameron Friends of Camberwell Cemeteries / Save Southwark Woods Campaign 07731 304 966 [email protected] http://www.savesouthwarkwoods.org.uk Friends of Camberwell Cemeteries is fighting to stop the destruction of the woods and graves of Camberwell Old and New Cemeteries. We are for maintaining recreational activities already taking place on cemetery grounds, such as the Recreation Ground and the Allotments. We are for preserving the cemeteries as Memorial Park Nature Reserves, like Nunhead or Highgate Cemeteries.

Well spotted Penguin68 and changed. What I should have written was Almost half of all residents who require burial [*added 'who require burial] cannot use Southwark?s cemeteries. Tonight is the Planning Committee Meeting Meet us outside Southwark Council 6.30pm Thursday 15th June 160 Tooley Street London SE1 2QH http://www.savesouthwarkwoods.org.uk/object-to-area-b-development/4593742804 Tell Southwark Council that 1,000 burial plots on the Honor Oak Nature Corridor land is a destructive waste of inner London open green space. Blanche Cameron Friends of Camberwell Cemeteries / Save Southwark Woods Campaign 07731 304 966 [email protected] [www.savesouthwarkwoods.org.uk]

OddlyCurious How far are you asking residents who cannot be buried according to Christian burial traditions to travel? Almost half of all residents who require burial [*added 'who require burial] cannot use Southwark?s cemeteries. This is discriminatory and Southwark knows this. Local people don?t want trees cut down, graves dug up, memorials destroyed, and burial plots in and amongst the graves of others just to keep burial for only some residents in the borough. That is why we are calling on new burial to stop and the cemeteries to be made nature reserves. We have never changed our position on this - for more information see the website. http://www.savesouthwarkwoods.org.uk/ Photo attached is of One Tree Hill. Blanche Cameron Friends of Camberwell Cemeteries / Save Southwark Woods Campaign 07731 304 966 [email protected] [www.savesouthwarkwoods.org.uk] Twitter: @southwarkwoods Facebook: Save Southwark Woods

Oddlycurious: We have never campaigned against the provision of burial and we never will. The 2012 strategy was passed on condition Southwark explored out-of-borough burial. Like the environmental impact assessment, borough burial needs assessment, and families? consultation, this has never been done. Southwark must stop and do these before any further destruction takes place. We are against burial in inner London because green space, nature, woods and history and all their benefits to people for health, nature, beauty, tranquility and knowledge are far too important to be destroyed just to sell burial plots. Another photo is attached of what Southwark is destroying for burial plots without exploring alternatives. Blanche Cameron Friends of Camberwell Cemeteries / Save Southwark Woods campaign 07731 304 966 / [email protected] / www.savesouthwarkwoods.org.uk

Penguin68: So you personally condemn the faith practices of many Southwark residents of Muslim and other faiths. This explains why you are able to support Southwark Council's religious discrimination. That's all. You could always start a new petition to Southwark Council to promote religious discrimination on their website instead of pretending to provide burial fairly for all residents including meeting their faith needs in burial. Meanwhile we will continue to campaign to save the Camberwell Cemeteries as nature reserves and point out what Southwark is doing along the way. Blanche Cameron Friends of Camberwell Cemeteries / Save Southwark Woods campaign 07731 304 966 / [email protected] / www.savesouthwarkwoods.org.uk

Pengin68: Are you really saying residents should change the way they practice their faith or go private? That would be illegal. Council services cannot be just for residents whose face or faith 'fits'. If Southwark chooses to provide a burial service it must do so without religious discrimination. That means doing a Borough burial needs assessment, still not done. The campaign's aim is to protect the nature, the graves and heritage of the Camberwell Cemeteries by making them nature reserves. We are showing the many reasons why Southwark?s destruction is wrong and must stop - including religious discrimination, burial and building over war graves, destruction of woods and nature, digging up families? graves, no financial scrutiny, no environmental impact assessments, flood risk issues, lack of consultation...and more. The photo is beautiful Camberwell Old Cemetery woods that Southwark want to cut down next. Blanche Cameron Friends of Camberwell Cemeteries / Save Southwark Woods campaign 07731 304 966 / [email protected] / www.savesouthwarkwoods.org.uk

Yes, JoeLeg, non-Christian religious groups have made representations to Southwark about their discriminatory burial service. Imam Bilo Barrie of Peckham BECA Mosque and Mr Musharraf Chaudhury Chair of the Southwark Multifaith Forum spoke at the Cemetery Stakeholder meeting and Habiba Taslim of Haji Taslim Funerals made a written statement. The three agreed Southwark?s burial service does not provide for the majority of Muslim residents. And a complaint has been lodged with the Local Government Ombudsman by a Jewish resident. See here: http://www.savesouthwarkwoods.org.uk/council-ignores-discrimination/4593814916 Southwark must carry out a full Borough burial needs assessment to find out what kind of burials residents actually require instead of destroying acres of woods and graves for a discrimatory burial service. All councils are required to provide services without religious discrimination. The Council's Planning Meeting is tomorrow, Thursday 15 June 630pm, for applications to bury on lovely more Honor Oak Nature Corridor land. Information here: http://www.savesouthwarkwoods.org.uk/object-to-area-b-development/4593742804 Blanche Cameron Friends of Camberwell Cemeteries / Save Southwark Woods campaign 07731 304 966 / [email protected] / www.savesouthwarkwoods.org.uk

Yes oddlycurious, you're right. This is exactly what we have been saying. If Southwark Council is in the burial business, it must provide a non-racist, non-discriminatory burial service. Is there anyone on this forum who thinks it is okay for Southwark to discriminate against any resident because of their religion? This is just another reason why new burial plots cannot be provided in the Borough. Here is another picture of the beautiful Camberwell Old Cemetery glade to be dug up - enjoy it while you still can. Blanche Cameron Friends of Camberwell Cemeteries / Save Southwark Woods campaign 07731 304 966 / [email protected] / www.savesouthwarkwoods.org.uk

Penguin68, the petition reads: "We petition the London Borough of Southwark to stop destroying trees, open spaces and graves in Camberwell Old and New Cemeteries and make the cemeteries nature reserves." We are campaigning for the woods and the graves and are highlighting all the various faults in Southwark's burial strategy. The 38Degrees link for anyone who wants to support the campaign is here: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-southwark-woods A petition supporting Southwark Council would need to say: "Burying (only some) local people locally (but not others) is more important than nature and history and heritage." But no-one is campaigning for this - why not set one up? Southwark Council Planning Committee this Thursday evening will decide whether to take three more acres of Honor Oak Nature Corridor for burial plots. Come and tell them what a destructive waste this would be and against the results of their own 2016 consultation - 86% of respondents replied 'no burial on this site'. Or come and tell them you want it. Info is here: http://www.savesouthwarkwoods.org.uk/object-to-area-b-development/4593742804 Blanche Cameron Friends of Camberwell Cemeteries / Save Southwark Woods campaign 07731 304 966 / [email protected] / www.savesouthwarkwoods.org.uk

JoeLeg: That was 700 signatures in one day. Most local people want the graves and nature protected https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-southwark-woods Where is your petition calling for cutting down trees and digging up the dead so Southwark can keep burying people? There is still time to get to the cemetery today and at the beauty that's left. Photo attached. Blanche Cameron Friends of Camberwell Cemeteries / Save Southwark Woods campaign 07731 304 966 / [email protected] / www.savesouthwarkwoods.org.uk