Proposals for future burial provision – resident questions and answers

On 18 September 2024, the Council’s Policy Committee will consider a report regarding future burial provision.

The report sets out options for the Council to continue providing a burial service for residents. The current cemetery at Henley Road is expected to run out of burial space by 2030.

The following is intended to provide additional information and address questions that residents may have in response to the options. A copy of the report is available at: https://democracy.reading.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=138&MId=5434

Why can’t you find alternative land?

An extensive search found some potential sites outside of the borough boundary but, in most cases, the purchase cost is prohibitive due to the owners seeking residential value. If we find land that is affordable, we will consider acquiring it for development and long-term future use.

What were the results from ground testing at the Henley Road allotment site?

The tests found that the ground water table across the site is likely to meet the requirements for permission to use the area for burial. If the Council decides to use the site for burial a final phase of ground water testing would commence over a 12-month period and prior to a planning application. The cost of the final ground testing is significant, and the funding will only be allocated if a decision is taken to use the site for burial.

How will you consult?

We will use the Council’s online consultation platform to get public responses to a series of questions designed to help establish how discontinuing the provision of new graves or closure of the Henley Road allotments would affect residents. We will also consult on resident support for either of these options and hold discussions with representative groups. Public meetings will be used to gather feedback – including meetings of allotment holders and faith groups.

It looks like the decision has already been taken by the Council – are you going to listen to the consultation?

Yes, we are going to listen. Members want more information before deciding on future burial provision and have instructed officers to report back. If the Council’s Policy Committee on the 18th September accepts the recommendations of its officers (that the allotment site should be the preferred option for future burial provision) the decision will remain subject to public consultation – the results of which will be reported to Members before a final decision is taken early next year.

Why not stop offering new graves once the cemetery is full?

This is an option, but the Council believes that its residents should have a choice between burial and cremation and an option within Reading to ensure access for grieving and processing the death of loved ones within our town. Burial is a requirement of certain faiths and a choice that bereaved parents tend to take when a child has died. Such choice is important.

Why spend Council taxpayer’s money on more cemetery space?

The Council’s bereavement service generates income and is self-funding. The loss of income from the sale of graves would mean that the upkeep of Henley Road Cemetery would have to be subsidised by Council taxpayers, which is not currently the case.

What support/compensation will be provided to allotment holders?

Although the Council has no statutory obligation to compensate the allotment holders,

consideration will, where possible, be given by Members to providing reasonable financial support to assist in their relocation.

Will alternative allotments be made available?

Yes, and priority will be given by the Council to Henley Road allotment holders to be allocated alternative sites in Reading. Such offers would commence once a decision has been taken by the Council and a reasonable financial incentive may be given to those allotment holders who relinquish their plot.

If you use the allotment site, how long will it last and what happens once that is full?

Based on current demand, the site will provide enough graves to meet demand for 14 years. We currently have enough space until 2030 so that would mean we could extend provision until 2044. If more and land can be found, it will be purchased by the Council and kept for use after 2044.

Why the hesitation about using reserve cemetery ground to extend the cemetery when that is why the Council bought the land originally?

Although the Council has kept the site for future cemetery use, residents were granted temporary / annual allotment leases and that has been an agreed and understood arrangement for decades.

The Council understands the attachment that residents have to their allotments and the value of such a facility to them. Before taking a final decision, members want to fully understand how all allotment holders will be affected and what can be done to mitigate their loss if the allotment site is closed.

Will there be any compensation offered for outbuildings / sheds etc, physical items especially those recently purchased and for which money will be lost?

Potentially there may be and this is something that will be considered by the Council as part of the consultation process with allotment holders and their representatives.

Is there a long-term plan to do away with allotments altogether in this area, as there always seems to be a pressure on allotment sites?

No. The Council remains committed to delivering its statutory duty to provide allotments for our local residents and has a range of allotment sites across Reading. The Council is also looking to see if additional allotment spaces or sites can be created in the Borough. The Henley Road allotments occupy ground that had historically been reserved for future cemetery use, and the allotment use was only until the land was required for cemetery use and not a statutory allotment site. Henley Road has served allotment holders well for many decades and would have otherwise been left unused. However, we have now reached that point where the land is needed for its originally intended purpose as a burial site.

What will happen if there is no allotment available to move to

It is the intention of the Council to do all that it reasonably can to secure new allotment sites for all displaced allotment holders. We are hopeful that this can be the primary solution for all or the vast majority of the allotment holders. In the worst case, an allotment holder might have to be added to a waiting list on one of the other allotment sites in the borough, but it remains the hope to supply new sites for all that desire one.

When I walk around the cemetery I can see loads of spare space, why don’t you use that?

Areas that may appear to be spare have been used for burial, but memorials were never placed or lost over time. We will be using all the space available without ruining the cemetery’s appearance and use as a place of respect for the dead and the bereaved family and friends.

Why don’t you use the old BBC land? There is a lot of land on this site, surely you can get some of that?

The site is an historically significant landscape for which planning permission would unlikely be granted for cemetery use. In any event, the Council’s approaches to discuss the site as a possible cemetery extension were unsuccessful.

Why did the Council move former Cow Lane allotment holders to a temporary allotment site?

At the time of the Cow Lane allotment closure, which was roughly 15 years ago, there was still significant capacity available at Henley Road cemetery. Therefore the Henley Road reserve land offered long term allotment provision. Thus, there has been a considerable period of time since former Cow Lane allotment holders were relocated to Henley Road, and we have a new situation that as a town must be looked at. Unfortunately, Councils can seldom make promises to any type of service user in perpetuity particularly as circumstances do change over time. In a town such as Reading with a tightly constrained footprint, we are constantly up against space challenges to provide all services.

Will the former Cow Lane allotment holders who were transferred to the Henley Road allotment site be given priority in the allocation of a new allotment space?

If the Council decides to close the Henley Road allotments, we will start a process of supporting all allotments holders, giving as much notice as we can. As part of the planned consultation we want to understand what the impact will be and what support might be needed for allotment holders moving to a different site.