Cemetery expansion plan as burial space runs out

A report warned the cemetery had just two years of burial space left

A council is set to buy land near a North Yorkshire cemetery to provide enough burial space for the next 300 years.

Harrogate Borough Council has approved spending £32,500 to purchase the plot next to Pateley Bridge cemetery in Nidderdale.

The 1.03 hectare (2.56 acre) site currently belongs to the parish council.

The move comes after a council report warned the cemetery, which offer views over the village of Greenhow and towards upper Nidderdale, had just two years of burial space left.

The report said: “The current cemetery at Pateley Bridge is near capacity and acquisition of the additional site, will provide land for traditional burials, woodland burials and cremated remains for over 300 years should the site be fully developed for this purpose."

The council also considered demolishing a garage at the site, but that would have only freed up land for another five years of burial space, it added. 

The cemetery opened in 1874 and contains more than 950 memorials. It is divided into two areas — one for Church of England burials, the other for burials of people from other faiths.

There is also an area for cremated remains.

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