Time's running out for grave concern

BURNLEY

The council graveyards here only have a decade of space left.

A Burnley Borough Council spokesman said the authority owns two cemeteries and is responsible for six closed graveyards. He added: "Space is an issue in the borough but we have approximately 10 years left.

"When the exclusive rights to a burial plot expire, the council is within its rights to re-open that plot.

"We have not had need to follow this route yet but it may become an issue in the future. The Government is suggesting the re-use of graves is a viable and sensible solution.

"Until about 150 years ago re-use was the norm. Parish churches survived for hundreds of years using the same burial ground.

"Use of available space in graves where the exclusive right of burial has expired is already taking place in London without any problems. If families wish to extend the exclusive right of burial in the grave then they will always have that option.

"Only graves that have been effectively abandoned for over 75 years are likely to be considered."

HYNDBURN

JANICE Tolson, cemetery manager for Hyndburn Council, said their borough is not likely to face any problems in the near future and are currently selling burial spaces for 100 years.

She said: "We look after three cemeteries in Hyndburn. The main one is on Burnley Road, Accrington, which is the crematorium site as well. This has absolutely acres of room for many years to come.

"Our second cemetery, at Dill Hall Lane, Church, also has a lot of room.

"However, our third cemetery, on Blackburn Road, Great Harwood, probably has about 10 years left. We can estimate this based on current figures of usage.

"We have started taking steps to look for a new burial ground. We haven't as yet been successful but there is plenty of time.

"We would not consider re-using graves after just a few decades. Some councils sell their burial rights for just 40 years, which is a very small length of time."

BLACKBURN

BLACKBURN with Darwen Council has a closed cemetery in Whalley New Road and also operates a council graveyard at Pleasington.

And according to its spokesman, there is plenty of space left.

He said: "The council graveyard at Pleasington has acres of land around it that's in the ownership of the council and should give us provision for many years to come.

"There is not a pressing situation at the Darwen cemetery but many of the graves there are over 100 years old so could be re-used if necessary."

ROSSENDALE

SPACE shortages in graveyards are not a problem in Rossendale at all, according to Jason Foster, Rossendale Borough Council's parks and ground maintenance officer.

He added: "We have four municipal cemeteries in the area - one in Haslingden, one in Rawtenstall, one in Bacup and one at Whitworth.

"Each site is surrounded by a good two or three acres of land, which is owned by the council and which should provide us with burial space well into the next century."

RIBBLE VALLEY

IN the Ribble Valley, the public cemetery at Clitheroe is thought to have as many as 20 years left before it needs to address the issue - but it also has enough land for expansion.

A spokesman for Ribble Valley Borough Council said: "We don't have an issue with burial space in the Ribble Valley.

"We recently extended our public cemetery at Clitheroe and we have a capacity of 15 to 20 years left and enough land to extend it even further, so there is no problem in the foreseeable future."

PENDLE

PENDLE has more than enough cemeteries - and space - to cope with demand, according to the local authority.

A spokesman for Pendle Council said: "We don't have a problem with grave space.

"We have six cemeteries here, none of which are about to run out of space.

"We also have acres of surrounding land we could use for burial, should these sites fill up."