THE Society of Friends in Darlington has been refused permission to transform part of a burial ground into a car park.

The Quaker burial ground, which lies at the rear of the Friends' meeting house in Skinnergate, is the final resting place of many of the modern town's Quaker founders including most of the leading Pease family members.

It also lies within the town centre conservation area.

The applicant sought permission to provide nine car parking spaces with access from Powlett Street, claiming they were necessary to help disabled members get to meetings. But planning officers recommended refusal because the proposal conflicted with local plan policy regarding non-operational parking in the town centre.

Mr Usher who spoke on behalf of the Friends, told the meeting: "Disabled or elderly Friends have used part of the graveyard for car parking anyway and this was just to formalise the arrangement.

"This area has no graves and would be covered with plastic mesh used by English Heritage so that when there are no cars on it the area will look the same as it always does."

Coun David Lyonette said he had sympathy with the applicant but felt the historical nature of the site far outweighed any parking problems encountered.

"There needs to be exceptional circumstances to waive the planning rule.

"We have very few green areas in the town centre and we should be very protective of them."

Coun George Plummer agreed. He said: "If you start creating car parking areas on this site then you take away part of the town's history.

"Drivers can drop off elderly or disabled members outside the meeting hall and then park elsewhere."