GRAVE SHORTATGE AT CRISIS POINT (From Warrington Guardian)

GRAVE SHORTATGE AT CRISIS POINT

GRAVEYARDS in Winsford will be full within a year if nothing is done to solve a shortage of burial space in the town.

That's the warning from church officials and councillors, who say the situation has reached crisis point and people will have to be buried as far a field as Altrincham, Crewe and Warrington if more land is not found quickly.

A Winsford church warden, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: "We have been saying this would happen for years and years and now, as a lot of people expected, it has become an issue of major concern for us.

"It is difficult to put an exact time on when we will run out of space, but it may well be within a year."

The warden believes it is a situation that must be resolved quickly to prevent grieving relatives from suffering more than necessary.

He said: "People are extremely vulnerable at this time and the last thing they need is to be worrying about where they will be able to find space to bury their loved one.

"What distance should grieving relatives have to travel to visit a grave?

"This will affect older people a lot because many of them don't drive and it isn't very easy to get to places like Walton and Altrincham on public transport.

"Some churches have already run out of burial space with others filling up quickly, so there isn't an awful lot of time to find a solution for this."

Town councillor Des Worthington is also calling on Vale Royal Borough Council to address the problem.

He said: "People complain that land is always available for building on but nothing seems available for this basic service which we all need in the future.

"I am presently discussing this urgent issue with the council and will bring the subject up at the next town council meeting."

A spokeswoman for Vale Royal Borough Council said: "We are aware of the concerns of some parish councils about available burial space and will be conducting a survey of all churchyards and cemeteries in the borough next year as part of a larger review.

"Wharton Cemetery, which is managed by Vale Royal Borough Council, is currently expanding its cremated remains area to provide additional burial space."

phennessey@guardiangrp.co.uk