Council Recommends Returning Allotments to Cemetery Land

A PROPOSAL to return Henley Road allotments to its original intended use as cemetery ground is being recommended following public consultation and will be considered at a Policy Committee meeting later this month.  

Burial space in Reading is expected to run out entirely by 2030 and without a solution, burials will no longer be able to take place in the town. The Council strongly believes in-borough burial is a service which it should continue to offer to residents.    

The Council’s recommendation is to return 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, up to 2044. The allotments at Henley Road are located on reserve cemetery ground, which means the temporary use was only granted until such time as it was needed for burials. 

Public consultation on the proposals took place through the Autumn, which included an online questionnaire, two public meetings and individual discussions with faith groups.  

A total of 330 responses were received, of which 64 responses were from current Henley Road allotment holders.  Key findings include: 

• 46.4% (153 responses) believe the Council should continue to provide burials in Reading. 26.4% (87 responses) disagreed, including 62 allotment holders. 
• 40.6% (134 responses), including 2 allotment holders, supported using the Henley Road allotment site for new graves. 41.5% (137 responses) disagreed, including 62 allotment holders.  
• 40.3% (133 responses) supported a new cemetery outside Reading from 2044 onwards. 26.4% (57 responses) disagreed.  

Out of 45 current Henley Road allotment holders who responded to the consultation question, 26 said they would want to continue on an alternative allotment site. Most would also seek support from the Council if relocating to a new plot, whether that is help with preparation, physical support with moving, a long and agreed notice period or financial support to reflect crop loss. 

Following a review of all consultation responses and feedback, Council officers are recommending that the preferred option remains as closing the Henley Road allotment site by July 2028 and seeking planning permission to convert it into burial space. 

The recommendations, alongside the full consultation results, will be considered by Councillors at a meeting of the Council’s Policy Committee on Monday 17 February. https://democracy.reading.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=138&MId=5510 - Item 6. Councillors will additionally be asked to authorise officers to undertake the necessary detailed planning, assessments and studies to support a future planning application to covert the site back to cemetery land, and agree that the ongoing search for additional land for burial space beyond 2044 continues.   

If agreed, officers would engage with existing allotment holders in the coming months to develop a detailed plan to close the site, including measures to mitigate reasonable concerns of plot holders. Work would also include a review of policies for the future management of all of the Council’s allotments and the options available to provide replacement plots by extending some existing sites.  

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

“While Henley Road is reserve cemetery ground and was therefore always likely to be required for burial space at some point, we of course recognise that for existing allotment holders the thought of uprooting and moving to an alternative plot will be upsetting, particularly for those who have cultivated at the site for several years.  

“The Council feels strongly however that it should continue to offer residents the option of burial in their hometown, and this is backed up by the consultation response which shows the majority of people believe we should continue to provide burials inside Reading.   

“Having exhausted all other realistic and affordable options, the recommendation is now to return the allotments to its original intended use, albeit not for some years yet, which would give plot holders considerable notice.

 “If the recommendation is agreed, we are fully committed to working with allotment holders to provide alternative sites where required and to develop a detailed plan to mitigate other impacts, whether that is help in relocating or financial support. The consultation generated a significant number of comments in that respect, which will be invaluable in helping officers to develop a comprehensive mitigation plan.     

“I’d like to thank everybody who took the time to take part in the consultation.” 

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 and 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 it 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 £3.13 million, with funding set aside for approval as part of the Council’s Medium Term Financial Plan.