Plans to extend Hampton Cemetery given go ahead by town council chiefs - The Evesham Observer

Plans to extend Hampton Cemetery given go ahead by town council chiefs

Evesham Editorial 29th Sep, 2017 Updated: 29th Sep, 2017   0

A BID to extend Hampton Cemetery to provide more burial plots has been given the green light by Evesham Town Council planning chiefs.

Council chiefs have been working on the proposals for a number of years, but with there no longer being space for burials at the cemetery councillors agreed an application should be submitted to Wychavon as soon as possible.

Under the proposals, an extra 273 plots will be created and could ensure spaces for an estimated seven to 10 years.

Depending on how deep the graves can be dug, the total number of plots would be broken up into 145 double plots and 128 single plots.




Hampton Cemetery isn’t the only site facing capacity issues in the town as there are currently only 23 plots remaining at Waterside Cemetery. However, the council has identified further space which could possibly create 20 plots.

At the meeting on Monday concerns were raised about access to the extended cemetery. The plans show there would be no new access and the hearses would access the cemetery from the churchyard as they do now.


Coun Mark Goodge said: “As things stand the hearse would come in at the church, as it currently does, and then the funeral party would walk through the existing cemetery into the extension.

“There isn’t anything on this plan for a separate vehicular access to the land. I thought we had tried to persuade highways to agree to that.

Coun John Smith said the council should try and persuade highways chiefs to approve a second access point to the extended cemetery.

“What you’ve got to remember is you have to go into the churchyard, then into the first part of the Hampton Cemetery and then down the bank towards the river and then turn right by the trees,” he said. It’s a long way to walk.

“It’s the only way I think we will get planning permission at this stage, unless we can convince highways officers it’s only two or a maximum of three vehicles.”

Coun Smith questioned whether any application for a second access point would be rejected by highways chiefs due to traffic concerns.

What do you think? Send an e-mail to [email protected] with your views.

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