A quiet village in North Wiltshire is to be the setting for a burial site for the Unification Church, sometimes known as the Moonies.
The church was given a 500-acre farm in Stanton Fitzwarren near Swindon in 1972 when farmer Henry Masters and his wife Avril converted to the faith.
The farm became the church’s UK centre and, although this is no longer so, a large chunk of farmland is still owned by the church.
The ground will be turned into a memorial woodland for 273 burial plots.
Swindon Borough Council approved the site subject to parking provision, headstones to be laid flat, a limit of five burials a year and the opportunity for other villagers to be buried there.
Mr Masters, who is still a member of the Unifcation Church, said the church has only 300 families in the UK.
Most members are under 50 years old and he does not expect many burials in the foreseeable future.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here