Plans to turn Henley Road allotments in Reading into burial space go before councillors on Wednesday (September 18) with a recommendation for approval.
Reading Borough Council’s policy committee will decide whether to begin consultation with allotment holders and other stakeholders to add the site to Henley Road cemetery, due to a crisis of space for new burials.
Reading will run out of burial space in 2030 but, by taking in the allotment site, which is accessed from nearby Chiltern Road and which can accommodate an additional 2,300 graves, the council believes this will allow sufficient capacity until 2044, based on the average number of burials over the last 10 years, which has been 165 per year.
Without a solution, the council says burials will no longer be able to take place in the borough after 2030. The council-owned allotment land was always a reserve cemetery ground.
Other land outside the borough has been investigated but found to be either unsuitable or too expensive. The cost of developing the allotment site is £2.8 million.
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 issue was first raised by the committee in September 2021 and it found Reading residents wanting burials outside the borough would likely be charged two or three times the rate which local residents would be charged. It is estimated around one in five Reading residents would choose burial over cremation.
The allotment site is likely to meet Environment Agency requirements while some of the out-of-borough options would not. If the policy committee decides to go ahead on Wednesday, consultation with allotment holders, residents and faith groups will begin soon after. A report will then go to the policy committee in January or February 2025.
If approved, allotment holders will then be relocated during 2026 and 2027 and work to prepare the ground for burials will begin during 2028. It is expected to be completed before the end of 2029.
Image: Google.
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