Council Considers Returning Allotments to Cemetery Land

PROPOSALS to return Henley Road allotments to its intended use as cemetery land are set to go out to consultation, as the Council seeks to address the acute shortage of burial space in Reading.

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 borough. The Council strongly believes in-borough burials is a service residents want and which should continue to be offered to them for as long as possible.  

After exploring several alternatives, the Council is recommending returning Henley Road allotments to its original intended use as cemetery land as it offers the most realistic and affordable solution, and would create burial space for a further 14-year period in Reading, until 2044. 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.

A report to the Council’s Policy Committee, on Wednesday 18 September, outlines the various options explored by the Council and its intention to begin a consultation with allotment holders to identify possible mitigations. These could include rent-free periods until they need to vacate, and possible assistance should they choose and be able to move to another allotment site.

The report can be found at https://democracy.reading.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=138&MId=5434 (Item 5).

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

 “The Council has known for some time that burial space in Reading is extremely limited and that is a position that many other towns and cities find themselves in.

 “It goes without saying open land in a tight, urban area like Reading is at a premium. That has been borne out by surveys which show what little land there is, either inside or close to the borough, is unsuitable, unavailable, or financially unviable. And while there is no legal obligation for any council to provide burial space, we are clear that it is a service we want to be able to continue to offer to residents in Reading.    

 “The Council is very aware that for tenants themselves, allotments are not just plots of land and can often represent many years of hard work. We are therefore keen to engage them in conversation as part of this consultation to fully understand the package of support which would best work for them, whilst accepting there is no ideal scenario if we are asking them to vacate Henley Road over the next two or three-year period.  

 “There are various options under consideration, including offering them plots at other existing locations, help with moving or compensation, and we hope the consultation feedback received will help us identify any alternatives.”

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 agreed at Policy Committee on 18 September, a consultation on future burial provision with allotment holders, residents and faith groups would launch shortly afterwards. This would allow allotment holders to make an informed decision on whether to continue to plant until such time as a final decision is made.

Consultation feedback would then return to committee in January 2025 for consideration. If the decision is made at that point 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.