Consultation Begins on Tackling Burial Ground Shortage in Reading

• Consultation begins on returning Henley Road allotments to its intended use as cemetery ground
• Reading will run out of burial space by 2030 and without a solution new burials will no longer be able to take place in the town
• Residents, allotment holders, organisations and faith groups have until December 6 to have their say

A PUBLIC consultation on proposals to create additional capacity for burial space in Reading up to 2044, by returning Henley Road allotments to its intended use as cemetery ground, begins today (Oct 3).

Reading is expected to run out of burial space entirely by 2030. Without a solution, in just six years burials will no longer be able to take place in the town. The Council believes in-borough burial is a service which should continue to be offered to residents.

After an unsuccessful search for suitable alternative land, both inside and near to Reading, the Council's recommendation is to return Henley Road allotments to its original intended use as cemetery land, arguing it offers the most realistic and affordable solution and that it would create burial space for a further 14-year period. The allotments at Henley Road are located on reserve cemetery ground, which means the use was granted until such time as it was needed for burials.

Having agreed to carry out a public consultation at a Policy Committee meeting last month (Sep 18), the Council is today sharing how people can have their say.

Residents, community and faith groups can read about the proposal and have their say at https://reading.govocal.com/en-GB/projects/future-cemetery-provision

People can also request paper copies of the consultation by emailing [email protected] or by picking one up in any Reading library. Paper copies can be returned by post to: Reading Borough Council Cemetery Survey, Henley Road Cemetery & Crematorium, 55 All Hallows Road, Caversham, RG4 5LP or scanned and emailed back to [email protected]

The consultation will be supported by several face-to-face meetings over the coming weeks with interested parties, including allotment holders and their representatives.

The deadline for responses is December 6. At that point, the Council will take some time to consider responses before returning to a Policy Committee meeting in the new year for a final decision.

Ellie Emberson, Lead Councillor for Corporate Services and Resources, said:

"A shortage of burial space is by no means unique to Reading, but we have now reached the point where a definitive decision needs to be made about how to address it. Competing demands for limited space is not new to Reading, and this a perfect example of it.

"The proposal to return the allotment land to its intended us as cemetery ground is not made lightly and has only come forward after an extensive but ultimately unsuccessful search for realistic and affordable alternatives at this time.

"This is a genuine consultation where we want to engage with as many residents as possible to understand their views, the arguments for and against the proposal, and suggestions for possible mitigations to support allotment holders should that decision be taken in the new year.

"We recognise the importance of giving existing allotment holders as much notice as possible, especially with the planting seasons to bear in mind. Those options for support could include offering them plots at alternative locations in Reading, help with moving or indeed financial compensation."

The shortage of burial space in Reading was first outlined in a Policy Committee report in September 2021. A report showed that Reading residents wanting burials outside the borough would likely be charged two or three times the rate that local residents would be charged. It is estimated around one in five Reading residents would choose burial over cremation as an option.

A survey of land both inside and within five miles of Reading, which have existing road access and were not within a ground source water protection zone, was unsuccessful in identifying sites which were financially viable at this time.

Preliminary ground water surveys at Henley Road Allotments show the ground is highly likely to be suitable for burial use and be granted a permit by the Environment Agency, which is unsurprising as it is an extension of the existing cemetery. It would provide around 2,300 graves, extend capacity to 2044 and costs would be an estimated £2.8 million. A final more intrusive round of ground testing would still be required to confirm land suitability.

If, following consultation, a decision is made to use the allotment site for burials, existing allotment holders would have considerable notice and time to potentially relocate to other allotment sites over the next two to three years. Officers are currently investigating options for extending some existing allotment sites in Reading to create additional capacity.