The family of a little boy buried in a Herefordshire country churchyard say they are upset and angry at plans to turn the historic church into a home.

Ian Edwards died four days before Christmas 1984 aged just three of asphyxiation caused by a chest tumour in a farmhouse near the church of St Andrew in Wolferlow, near Bromyard.

Colin Edwards, Ian’s father, was born and still lives within sight of the church, and also has other relatives buried in the churchyard.

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He said he even tried to buy the church himself “to just leave it as it is”, but believes potential developers offered more.

“I have mown the grass and trimmed the hedges for over 30 years,” he said. “Who will look after the graves once it’s developed?

“It’s a house of God, not a holiday let. The dead should be given some dignity.”

Laura Edwards, Ian’s mother, still visits her son’s grave several times a year.

“There were no ‘for sale’ boards – how were we to know it was being sold?” she said.

Ian’s uncle and godfather, Mike Smith, said he was only aware of plans to convert the 12th-century church when he read about it in the Hereford Times last month.

“The church hasn’t consulted living relatives of those buried here about what they propose to do,” he said. “It’s at best insensitive, at worst, crass.”

The last service was held in the church in 2003 and it was formally closed in 2006, although several burials have since been held in the grounds.

Ian’s grave and three others have recently been fenced off due to the danger of falling masonry from the deteriorating building.

Mr Edwards said this too was done without consultation, even though others affected would also wish to go on tending graves of loved ones. The planning application, submitted by a Craven Arms couple, shows a C-shaped portion of the church grounds, excluding the graves, forming part of the new property, though this would still be traversed by the existing public right of way.

Consultation on this closed on Monday (October 4) and a decision on whether to approve the plan is due to be made later this month. Mr Smith has requested that the consultation period be extended and the decision deferred.

The Diocese of Hereford confirmed that a sale would not go through without planning permission first being granted.

“Church Commissioners would require strict covenants as part of the sale to ensure the church building and churchyard are treated with respect, and that no monuments or memorials are disturbed,” its spokesperson said.

“The diocese had sought alternatives to selling with the wider community, but these had been unsuccessful, she added.

She apologised for the distress caused by the some of the graves currently being inaccessible, adding: “We are working with the insurer’s surveyor to seek a way forward that will allow access to the graves while still ensuring visitors’ safety.”

Church representatives have offered to meet the family in an attempt to address their concerns.

The parish church council, which made the original decision to close the church, would retain responsibility for part of the churchyard, including the graves, according to its treasurer Chris Evans, who confirmed that burials can continue to be held there.

“We still look after the grounds and will continue to do so once they are developed,” he said. “There will be no problem with access.”

Parish councillor for Wolferlow Stephen Tompkins said: “I welcome any work to be done to preserve what is a crumbling building and an obvious deteriorating asset.”