Plans put forward for expansion of cemetery

The Peel Cemetery is set to run out of capacity in a decade

Plans have been submitted to expand a cemetery in the west of the Isle of Man which is set to "run out of capacity in a decade".

In its application, Cathedral Isle of Man outlines proposals to buy land neighbouring Peel Cemetery on Douglas Road as the current area had "limited space".

The document said, unlike the UK, the Isle of Man sells burial plots for eternity, meaning it was "essential" to find more land.

Lodged by the cathedral Dean, the Very Reverend Nigel Godfrey, who is also the chairman of the German Burial Authority, the application said the additional land was half the size of the existing cemetery and would allow for "several thousand" burial plots.

As each plot had the space for up to three burials it potentially tripled the capacity, it continued.

The plans outline how access to the field would be made available by breaking down the wall that separates the land from the present cemetery.

However, it said there was "no reason" to make changes to the current car park, which was designed to cope with one funeral at a time, as it remained "adequate".

The proposals would include the planting of native trees and shrubs to "enhance" the landscape of the field.

It would also better screen the existing cemetery, which was "in major need of a landscape overhaul", something currently constrained by the limited area set aside for landscaping in the original plans that saw plots on a "very tight grid".