The Future?
On 30 September 2022 I asked Cllr David Jones, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, the largest party on the Houghton Regis Town Council for a statement from the party explaining why it is not proceeding with the possibility of turning a CBC site at Grendall Lane into a cemetery for the people of the Parish? And, to say, what are the next steps in securing an alternative site for the cemetery for the parishioners? An acknowledgement was sent the following day promising a reply 'probably the next day'. By the end of 2022, no reply was received.People don't think about death much, but it's a fact of life that we all die. You might not care what happens to your body after you die, but the majority do, including those who love you, who may well be left to decide what happens to your body.
The local council usually provides a place for your remains to rest in peace after a cremation or earthen burial. However, they do not have to provide anything.
There are public and private cemeteries. The majority of cemeteries in England are owned by district, town, and parish councils, as well as London boroughs. It is difficult to estimate how many cemeteries are in operation since the number is unknown. Nearly 4,000 may be a reasonable estimate.
Last month, in Houghton Regis, councillors held a special meeting to consider whether or not one of its committees had exceeded its remit by not taking steps that might have led to a new cemetery being created at Grendall Lane. The plot of land is situated between a north-facing slope on the northern edge of Houghton Regis Chalk Pit, on the one hand, and a site used by Central Bedfordshire Council for its Highways Department and Household Waste Recycling Centre, on the other.
Burial Grounds in Houghton Regis
Within Houghton Regis, there are at least four burial grounds.
1. The Baptist burial ground at Thorn:
Site 1 is a tiny plot, no longer used, although it once had a chapel. The chapel was moved stone by stone to the main village of Houghton Regis in the 19th century. There are at least 20 burials in the burial ground, dating between 1769 and 1834. One modern burial dates to the 1990s.
2. The burial grounds of All Saints Church:
Site 2, has officially closed. This means that no further internments in new plots are permitted, and responsibility for its upkeep and maintenance has been passed to Houghton Regis Town Council.
3. Houghton Regis Baptist Chapelyard:
Site 3, on Cemetery Road. At the road entrance, it has a plaque stating Garden of Remembrance. Records of who is buried there can be found at Find-A-Grave.com
4. The only active cemetery and Memorial Garden on Cemetery Road:
Site 4, the current cemetery, is no longer available to anyone wishing to reserve a new full-body burial plot. Houghton Regis Town Council says they “have been working really hard over many years to identify a new site and have invested considerable sums of money in exploring each and every opportunity”.
Prices for burials at other locations
Without a site for full body burials in the parish of Houghton Regis, those parishioners who want to be so buried are faced with fees that are three to five times higher at another cemetery outside of the parish.
In Dacorum, for 2022-23, a 75-year lease on a traditional grave for the exclusive right of burial of a non-resident is £4,380. If pre-purchased, the fee is £7,575. Plus, the burial fee for a traditional burial is £2,025.
In Dunstable, for 2022-23, a 75-year lease on a traditional grave for the exclusive right of burial of a non-resident is £1,935.00 (adult) plus an Interment Fee for a single depth grave of £1395.00. In a walled grave or vault, the fee is £3870.00.
Leighton Linslade Council's charges are, for 2022-23, a 50-year Exclusive Rights of Burial in an earthen grave for a non-resident is £2137.00 (adult) plus an Interment Fee for a single depth adult grave at a depth of 6 feet £1633.50.
At Toddington the price to non-residents for Exclusive Rights of Burial valid for 75 years is £1,530 (adult) plus Interment Fee single depth £1,030.
At Dunstable Town Council, they employ the services of a full-time Cemetery Manager and a part-time Cemetery/Allotment assistant whose salaries need to be considered, in addition to other grounds staff that can be deployed across various venues. The cemetery team deals with about 220 interments per year. For 2022/23 Dunstable Town Council estimates an operational surplus on its Cemetery activities of £66,954 excluding Ground staff costs.
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Meeting 15th August 2022
The New Cemetery Committee of Houghton Regis Town Council met on 15 August 2022 to consider a Special Motion, "To continue to pursue the possible cemetery provision at Grendall Lane Houghton Regis. To work with CDS and the Environment Agency, to continue with CDS investigation of the site and investigation to the T3 level of the site. To allow CDS to investigate possible cemetery designs for the site.”
But following discussion, the motion was defeated by 3 councillors for and 3 against, with the chair exercising her casting vote.
Following the meeting, comments were made on Facebook:
Newly elected town councillor, Pam Burgess, wrote “...the casting vote was taken by a Dunstable resident. Also, it cannot be final until its been to a full Council. It's ridiculous that people can't have freedom of choice if they want a burial for their loved one in Houghton Regis.”
HRTC Councillor, Tracey McMahon, “If I had been allowed to speak, which the Chair prohibited, then I would have contested those figures on cremation. In Houghton Regis, we actually buck the national trend. CDS has evidence of this from when we were planning the new cremation area. It's closer to the reverse 😲 There's been a drop off in recent years due to lack of availability, but as Cllr Jones noted in his filibuster, the numbers for burials in Houghton Regis are high!”
Member of the public, Caren Ann, commented “... it has widely been known that Windsor Drive was considered, but I have never seen any discussion on local social media sites regarding the land adjacent to Frogmore Road! Also, I obviously don’t know the rules and regulations but surely common sense would be to place a new cemetery within/on the outskirts of any of the many new developments rather than trying to squeeze one into small plots of land? We have vast amounts of land on the boundaries of Houghton Regis being built on, there must be space for a cemetery, the access roads are already there and there would then be little impact on local residents. I and many other residents do not understand why “councils” approve permission to developments without making it a requirement that all developments over a certain square footage/number of dwellings have to have space for shops/drs/dentists and/or space for worship/burial. Obviously, that requires common sense which unfortunately those in “power” do not have!”
• Houghton Regis Town Council manages the Houghton Regis Cemetery at Cemetery Road and takes pride in maintaining it to a high standard and creating an atmosphere of peace and calm. The cemetery is managed in accordance with approved Cemetery Regulations.
• There is no further space at the Houghton Regis Cemetery for new body burials. The council has been working hard over many years to identify a new site and has invested considerable sums of money in exploring each and every opportunity. The Council has designed and developed the remaining space within the current cemetery, creating a Garden of Remembrance whilst providing residents with a variety of options for ashes entombment in this area.
• The Town Council has pursued searches for new cemetery land, within it's parish boundary, so far without success.
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20/07/2022 News Item
Setback for Towns Cemetery Provision
- On Monday this week a Houghton Regis Town Council committee met and concluded that a site owned by Central Bedfordshire Council in Houghton Regis would not be suitable for the town's needs as a cemetery. The Council will continue to search for other sites and to present these for initial consideration to CDS in due course.
A report to the Council relayed back to the New Cemetery Sub-Committee said that contractors CDS had 'thoughts and concerns'.
- the northern half of the site being unsuitable under current statutory guidelines for a cemetery.
- the steeper southern sector of the site would be too steep without remedial work for burials to take place.
The Council is also working to try to find alternative land. Last July the Committee engaged a consultant to drill trial boreholes at the Grendall Lane site at a cost of between £13,750 to £16,750.
Houghton Regis Independent Councillor, Tracey McMahon, was one of the first to react to the decision to not proceed with Grendall Lane. In a post to her Facebook Page Tracey wrote, “Devastating news for any Houghton Regis residents that were hoping to be able to bury their loved ones in their own town!
“... Grendall Lane (the ONLY site available, the ONLY site half suitable, and the ONLY site to be GIFTED - as in FREE FROM CBC!), HRTC Lib Dem councillors overwhelmingly voted with their group leader, rather than with the resident's interests... to cease the project, and pay the cemetery consultant AGAIN to go and look for alternative sites, having had an explanation from the consultant that land is at a premium and that the landowners would be holding out for developer offers (housing land being more costly than agricultural/business, or cemetery!), and it would be unlikely that we'd be able to afford it
“... So now we're back to square one, having already paid for boreholes, and consultants, within touching distance of getting a new cemetery that would serve the old town as well as the new, with a population explosion expected to exceed Dunstable and be the largest town in Central Bedfordshire, with nowhere to bury our dead!”
CBC's Cllr Pat Hamill also commented on his Facebook Page, “[I] had been asking CBC officers to assist Houghton Regis Town Council by identifying suitable land for a new cemetery given the amount of development this town has had to absorb.
“I did say that the land off of Woodside Link should have gone alongside the investigations for Grendall Lane so two options were available but the council chose one path to go down in their wisdom. The land near the Frogmore area was suitable according to a CBC officer who suggested preparation to the land is all it would take in his opinion.
“Houghton Regis residents should have a burial site and if Grendall Lane is an option regardless of cost and restrictions, it seems the only logical way forward. To just wander on for another 10 years hoping to source suitable land is not a plan.”
The Town Council commented. “The council have decided to issue press releases through our own social media channels only and will do this later today/tomorrow.”
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11/02/2021 News Item
Grendall Lane As Cemetery Site Would Be High Risk - Council Seek More Options
The Environment Agency(EA) has laid down strict guidelines for the development of new cemeteries which include that graves should not hold any standing water when dug, there should be at least 1 metre between the base of the grave and the water table; more if the soil has high infiltration rates. Also, graves should be at least 250m away from wells and potable water supplies. If the ground was waterlogged and pumps were used to discharge "grey" water directly or indirectly from a grave area into the surface it would be an offence under the Groundwater Regulations 1998. Also, there should be no burials within 10 meters of land drains.
The Grendall Lane site has been found to contain active land drains and the depth to groundwater beneath the site is potentially too high to allow double-depth burials, according to the report to the Council, which continues, "It is unlikely that the EA would consider this site suitable for burials without significant further assessment and remedial work." The report ends, by saying, "Our view is that this site remains as high risk and that serious consideration should be given to reviewing other potentially more suitable sites in the local area."
Following discussion, the committee resolved to note the findings of the interim report, to confirm the completion of the assessment; to seek feedback from the Environment Agency in due course; to explore with CDS a shared use option of allotments and a cemetery and thus a smaller red line location for a cemetery; to explore with Dunstable Town Council options for a joint facility; to look to CBC for further options in nearby villages to look for further options.
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New Site Being Considered for Houghton Full Body Burials
- Burial space in Houghton Regis was finally exhausted about two months ago. Anyone who lives in the town and now wants a whole-body burial has to go outside of the town. Councillors are to have a feasibility study done into a new site near the Household Waste and Recycling Centre.
- When considering a site in 2019 at Dog Kennel Down, on 23 April 2019, councillors were advised by consultants that “all of the sites are situated on the same geological sequence and therefore carries similar risks with regards to groundwater contamination from cemeteries. If a sufficient thickness of head soils was encountered on site, the risk may be reduced."
