Newark town clerk comments on result of Newark Town Council consultation into Newark Cemetery

A council has said it is taking on board the views of residents before any decision is made on a potential new town cemetery.

Last year, Newark Town Council launched a consultation allowing members of the public to share their views about future burial provision in Newark.

It came after a report estimated that Newark Cemetery, which the council has responsibility for, had less than seven years of available burial space remaining.

Almost 300 people took part in the consultation, with almost three quarters of respondents stating that the belief that it is essential for the council to find a new burial site before the existing cemetery on London Road runs out of burial space in the coming years.

In response, town clerk Matthew Gleadell said that the council is now “exploring the next steps towards potentially providing a new burial site”, however, “no formal decision has yet been taken.”

Mr Gleadell explained that this would initially involve an assessment of available land suitable for burials, and suitable planning consultants will be required to assist in this process.

The council is also currently assessing the costs for carrying out such an assessment.

“Planning regulations around burial sites are strict and there is no guarantee that there are suitable sites in or near Newark,” he said.

“Recent changes in regulations around ground water conditions on burial sites have made it harder to secure planning consent for burial land.

“The consultation shows that residents would want to see any new site within or no more than five miles from the Newark boundary.

He added: “The process for identifying a suitable site, securing planning permission, acquiring the site and preparing it for burial will take several years.

“No formal decision has yet been taken to proceed, however, the council will seek to keep residents up to date with progress.”

One option put forward to extend the life of the existing cemetery was the potential reuse of old graves, which received an almost 50/50 split in views.

Mr Gleadell said: “A review of burial laws is currently being carried out by the Law Commission,

“This may open the door to re-use of old graves which presently is only legally permitted in a select few graveyards in London and Bishop Stortford.

“If this becomes law across other cemeteries, including Newark, older graves could be reused to provide space for new burials.

“This may help to prolong the life of the existing cemetery at London Road.”

The consultation also identified that cremation was by far the most popular choice for people when dealing with their remains after death, and a desire to see a crematorium built in Newark.