Pre-purchase of Bridgnorth cemetery burial plots suspended

Members of Bridgnorth Town Council took the decision at a meeting of the full council to suspend the option of pre-purchasing grave spaces at the town's cemetery.

The cemetery dates from 1850 and is a sandstone area which has been designated an area of Special Scientific Interest.

The town council is currently trying to secure additional burial space next to the current cemetery but presently has neither secure ownership of the land nor obtained planning permission.

A number of plots have already been bought but are currently unused and there are only 30 burial plots available for future use.

In a report to councillors, Town Clerk Lee Jakeman, said: "The continued practice of pre-purchasing burial space is placing the council at some risk of not being able to bury the deceased in the short to medium term.

"It might be that residents and non-residents are keen to pre-purchase burial space that might not be required for many years, because they know space is currently limited and the costs of burial space has risen steeply since the turn of the century and only likely to continue in the same way."

He added that the priority of the town council was to ensure it could provide burial space to its own residents.

Parishes

It is anticipated that if the additional land is obtained, works to landscape the grounds and prepare it for interments would take 'some time and certainly more than 12 months'.

Mr Jakeman added: "Bridgnorth Town Council permits burials of non-residents in its cemetery. It provides a service to neighbouring parishes. This practice puts additional strain on the demand for cemetery land."

Councillors were told that the practice of allowing pre-purchase burial space in the town's cemetery was adding to the pressure and that 'readily available burial space was at a dangerously low level'.

Councillor David Cooper said that Bridgnorth was not alone in the problems with regards to burial space.

Councillors agreed that the town council would suspend with, immediate effect, the option to pre-purchase burial space in Bridgnorth Cemetery until additional cemetery land has been purchased or is assured.