Graveyard full in Compton

Church of England needs to practice better management of burial grounds - Cemetery Research Group

THE burial grounds at a church in Compton are approaching full capacity.

St Mary and St Nicholas' church in Aldworth Road appealed for help once it became clear the number of grave plots was running out and now Compton Parish Council has stepped in to help solve the problem.

The parish council clerk, Ron Palmer, said it was working hard to find a new location for the people of the village to bury their loved ones.

”I am hoping to meet the owner of one possible plot of land when he comes to the UK from Australia, where he now lives, in September,” he said.

He added that he was also talking to the Environment Agency about the tests to be undertaken and what consents have to be gained to prove the suitability of land for this purpose.

The problem is not limited to West Berkshire, according to the Cemetery Research Group, who say churchyards across the UK are running out of space.

A spokeswoman for the group based at the University of York, Dr Julie Rugg, told Newburytoday.co.uk that the problem was increasingly common and would continue to grow unless the Church of England practiced better management of graveyards.

She said that extended cemeteries contain “unpurchased” graves which can be used three or four times, but churchyards contain “purchased” graves which are plots used by the same family which make the use of land much less efficient

“People may not want to think about it but it is something they should.

“There is a lack of underlying strategy. As much as you think there may be loads of space in rural areas like West Berkshire, there really isn't. The Church of England needs to think about how it manages burial space.

“It also seems to be a bit unfair that every parish council has to sort it out, and it is not cheap, if they have to bring in legal advice it can prove costly.

“It's not as if the Church of England will say, “Here is a few thousand pounds go and buy some land”, it doesn't work like that.

“The problem is, the burial grounds are for the whole community, so why should just the congregation pay for something that will serve the whole community?”

Many detached churchyard extensions usually see land being purchased as near to the church as possible or at the edge of villages, or can involve a generous donation from a local landowner.