Cemetery plans after fears city will run out of space for burials

PLANS have revealed what Cardiff’s new cemetery could look like.

Cardiff council is looking for a new area to bury the dead after fears there may be no more space for graves in the city after June 2020.

Detailed plans have been revealed for a new burial space, at a nine-acre site north of the M4 on the A469, which is less than 650 metres from Thornhill Cemetery.

The council is holding a consultation on the plans – which include roads, paths, a 31-space car park, toilet block, waiting area and water features – before a planning application is submitted.

If allowed, the cemetery would provide a range of burial options including traditional graves, lawn graves, places for cremated remains, infant graves and an area for natural burials.

A planning statement by the council says: “Cardiff is one of the fastest growing cities in the UK with an increasing population, and as the population grows so does the death rate for the city.

“Whilst cremation is the preferred choice for the majority of people, around 30% of deaths still opt for burial for personal and religious reasons.”

The council operates seven burial sites, but only Thornhill, Pantmawr and Western cemeteries have space for new graves.

Thornhill, the biggest cemetery in the city, deals with more than 700 burials a year and more than 200 new graves – and there is no space for it to expand into.

If the new cemetery is developed, the council hopes it will provide enough space for the north of the city for the next 18 to 20 years.

The land is owned by Cardiff council but is currently leased out to New House Farm as part of a tenancy which has 18 years left to run.

Negotiations are underway so the council can regain control of the land by October 2019.

The consultation runs until Tuesday, May 29.