Anglican church on Costa del Sol assists campaign to stop graveyard closure

The Church of England church of St George's Malaga, on Spain's Costa del Sol, has joined in the campaign to save the historic English cemetery in the city from imminent closure.

The church is situated within the cemetery, although legal responsibility for the cemetery currently rests with the British Government, not the church.

The Spanish authorities have verbally instructed the British Consul, Bruce McIntyre, that no further burials are to take place there due to local regulations. The church upkeep largely depends on burial fees, although St George's does contribute about 15 per cent of the gardener's wage.

The English cemetery contains the ashes of the notable writer Gerald Brennan, who lived in the area, and is therefore a place of historic interest to Spanish people as well as to British.

"It is a peaceful oasis of great historic interest close to the centre of the city and has enormous potential for visitors," says the Anglican chaplain of St George's, the Revd Robert Haslam. "It is an important focal point linking expatriates and the Spanish community."

In order for the cemetery to be preserved, its legal ownership needs to be transferred from the Government to a local Foundation, of which the British Consul would be an ex-officio member. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is understood still to be considering the request.

"A great deal of fund raising will be required if closure is to be avoided," says Mr Haslam. He believes that the cemetery can remain open for another three months, although some British newspaper reports suggested it might only be one month.

Funds are being sought from relatives and friends of people buried in the cemetery, from the expatriate British community and the local Spanish community, and from corporate as well as private sponsors