Photo Credit : SSW

Save Southwark Woods (SSW) is a campaign protesting against the re-landscaping of Camberwell old cemetery.

The project involves re-shaping acres of the old graves for the purpose of refurbished land for new graves.

A specific hearing will be held later this year, with a date yet to be confirmed. The council are also accused of potentially interfering with thousands of bodies buried in the consecrated forest with these new plans.

Originally proposed in 2012, the project comes as the council have fears that the borough will run out of space for new burials. Every grave over the age of 75 years will be excavated, according to SSW.

48,000 graves will be removed in order to create 700 new burial sites.

“I am appalled at Southwark Councils decision to start the felling of trees at Camberwell Old Cemetery without taking into account the views of the local community and the diocese, who are strongly opposed,” Zac Goldsmiths told SSW.

Already two acres of woodland, located at Woodvale have been destroyed without consent from the diocese, it “looks like a ploughed field,” SSW’s Blanche Cameron said.

SSW spokespersons are invited to the hearing and with more than 800 local residents infuriated by the proposal many should be in attendance.

“This is urban deforestation in an age when we knew how important woods and trees are in an Air Quality Management. We need to respect the graves of those buried here and their families.” Blanche told Southwark news.