Pendle Borough Council to discuss spiralling costs and reduced capacity at new cemetery on Nelson and Brierfield border

The borough council bought land at Edge End Avenue and Halifax Road from Lancashire County Council in March last year for £840,000.

However, the agenda for tomorrow evening’s meeting at Nelson Town Hall states that “there be an urgent review of the proposed cemetery provision in Nelson with a view to contain costs within reasonable amounts, and that this review be reported to the council’s executive at the earliest opportunity.”

The report also reveals that subsequent site investigations have now shown that at least one quarter of the site is unsuitable for burials, and that the number of proposed burial plots has reduced from around 6,000 to 4,700.

An additional £2m. has now been included in the capital programme for the cemetery’s development, with a further £1m. being required in future, taking total expenditure to £4.4m, equivalent to almost £1,000 per plot.

A concerned resident told Leader Times Newspapers: “Now investigations have been partially undertaken, at least a quarter is unusable with I suspect much more being problematic as three springs run through the area. It is so problematic, planning permission has been refused previously.

“In these times of austerity, residents are concerned about crucial services such as social services, care of older people etcetera and not literally ‘pouring money down the drain’ on unsuitable, unsustainable planning developments.”

In around four years’ time, the current cemetery on Walton Lane is expected to be nearing full capacity.