Cemetery could stretch into playing fields in bid for space

WILTSHIRE Council intend to use part of the playing fields behind Melksham House for burial space as there are fewer than 25 plots left in Melksham Cemetery.

The council last month submitted an application to extend the cemetery site by approximately 650sqm to add 219 extra spaces and bring the total number of grave plots to 2,919.

The application proposes moving a section of wall to use part of the playing fields for graveyard space.

There are thought to be only 24 available plots at current, all of which are expected to be filled by the end of this year.

The proposal is part of the council’s plans to overcome a lack of burial capacity – a basic need for the town. The Wiltshire Core Strategy also suggests that the predicted  population increase in the region would see an increase in demand for grave sites.

The cemetery’s average burial rate from 2000-2013 was 63 per year. Continuing at that level the proposed space would last for a further three and a half years, but the burial rate is expected to rise with the increasing population.

A Wiltshire Council spokesman said: “The planned work will extend the cemetery’s use for the next few years. We are in the process of considering the available options for the town beyond this period.”

The changes to the cemetery beside Western Way would see a stretch of the existing wall demolished and another built so that the graveyard would incorporate part of the playing fields.

The extension, which would be made in the most westerly point of the fields, would have the capacity for the equivalent of 68 full size earth graves, 17 infant graves and 134 cremated remains plots

On the grounds of loss of playing field, Sport England has objected to the proposal and said, “This area of playing field is flat and more than capable of forming part of a pitch and provides the opportunity to rotate relocate pitches as well as providing an area for players to warm up. The loss of this area of playing field would reduce the capability of the playing field to provide for sport.

“Sport England objects to the proposal because it is not considered to accord with any of the exceptions in Sport England’s playing fields policy.”

Comments can be submitted until Friday 21st August, by searching planning application 15/06652/FUL at www.wiltshire.gov.uk or by writing to the county council’s planning department.