Spalding cemetery could run out of burial space within a year, leaders warn

Leaders at South Holland District Council have defended plans to extend Spalding Cemetery, warning the site has only around a year's worth of burial space remaining.

The authority is proposing to create around 750 new burial plots by expanding the cemetery, off Pinchbeck Road, into part of the nearby Chiltern Road Playing Field. Council leaders say the extension would provide enough capacity for around another 20 years.

Speaking at a Spalding Town Forum meeting, Andy Fisher, Director of Programme Delivery at the South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership, said the town was facing an urgent shortage of burial space.

"There are just over 22,000 burial plots. We have about a year's worth of plots remaining based on current demand," he said.

"That's a really short life in relation to the history of Spalding Cemetery, which opened in 1854."

However, the proposals have prompted concern from some councillors and residents, who fear the loss of public open space and question whether enough consultation has taken place.

Councillor Ingrid Sheard said she did not believe the current proposal was the right solution and suggested land near South Lincolnshire Crematorium in Surfleet could provide a better long-term location.

She also questioned whether the impact on nearby families, children and people who use the playing field had been properly assessed.

Portfolio holder for assets and strategic planning, Councillor Henry Bingham, said the council had carefully considered all the land it owns and believed the cemetery extension was the most practical option.

He said the authority wanted to ensure people could continue to bury loved ones in their own town rather than having to travel elsewhere.

"We have looked at all the other land that we own," he said. "This is an achievable project which will cover us for 20 years and mean that people can basically bury their parents, grandparents and their children."

The council stressed no final decision has been made. It also says the existing children's play area would not be affected and is exploring the acquisition of around 2.64 acres of land at Wygate to provide additional public open space.

The cemetery extension forms part of wider proposals to improve Spalding's public spaces, including restoring the historic Nonconformist Chapel and Johnson Mausoleum, and creating a new walking route linking the cemetery with Vernatts Nature Reserve.