‘Inhumane’ cemetery plans are scrapped
A PLAN to bury all those who die in Cheshire East in either Macclesfield or Crewe has been scrapped.
The proposals, described as ‘at best thoughtless and at worst inhumane’ followed a cemetery strategy review in 2018.
It was then decided that as other cemeteries in the borough became full families must lay their loved ones to rest in one of two towns.
But three years later, a petition signed by nearly 6,000 Sandbach residents was presented calling for the council to expand Sandbach Cemetery.
Councillor Mike
Benson brought the matter to an environment and communities committee and said: “The report which was relied upon to reach the conclusion that burials would have to go Crewe or Macclesfield, failed to advise about the availability and extent of the land adjoining the cemetery. This land has always been earmarked to provide extra capacity.”
Coun Sam Corcoran, council leader, said he had questioned the council at the time, when it was Conservative run, about this.
Resident Philip Brooks went on to detail the devastating impact it would have on grieving families if they had to travel from towns right across the borough to visit their loved ones’ graves.
He said: “To expect the elderly, infirm, with no local support, to travel these sort of distances on public transport in order to visit the graves of their partner is at best thoughtless and at worst inhumane.”
He also asked how parents who have a child buried in a cemetery would be expected to get their other children to cemeteries miles away to visit that grave.
Councillors from other towns were of the opinion the better option was to expand cemeteries there.
Coun Corcoran proposed that the current cemeteries strategy across the whole borough be reviewed and the vote in support was unanimous.