Blackburn cemetery expansion approved as capacity runs out by 2028

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 14 Oct, 07:32 · Archive

Blackburn with Darwen Council has approved the expansion of Pleasington Cemetery, the town's only remaining burial site.

Blackburn with Darwen Council has approved the next phase of plans to expand Pleasington Cemetery, the town's only remaining burial site, as officials warn that existing burial capacity could run out by 2028. Councillor Jim Casey, the council's executive member for environment and communities, told the authority's executive board that burial space at the cemetery is running out. The cemetery currently accommodates around 400 burials each year.

Once completed, the extension will provide about 4,000 additional burial plots, securing burial provision for Blackburn residents for an estimated further 15 years. The project will see the cemetery expand onto 8.7 hectares of council-owned land at Lower Fold Farm, next to the existing cemetery and crematorium. Plans include a dedicated area for cremated remains, memorial and reflection spaces, new access roads, woodland planting and biodiversity improvements.

The council said the extension had been designed to meet the needs of people from all faith backgrounds, including around 1,500 Muslim burial plots aligned with the Qibla towards Mecca, alongside improved accessibility, additional parking and space for funeral corteges. The scheme still requires planning permission and environmental permits from the Environment Agency, with council officers describing the environmental approval process as the project's most significant programme and cost risk. The council has already allocated £2.693 million towards the project, although officers noted that cost estimates are now more than three years old and will need to be updated to reflect inflation and current construction prices before procurement begins.

How it is being reported

• Blackburn cemetery capacity 'could run out in less than two years'Around 400 burials take place at Pleasington every yearLancsLive · 14 Oct, 07:00
• Blackburn cemetery expansion moves closer as burial space set to run out by 2028The expansion of Blackburn's last remaining cemetery is moving ahead after Blackburn with Darwen Council approved the next phase of the project, as officials warn existing burial capacity could run out by 2028.Lancashire Telegraph · 14 Oct, 05:00

In this story: Blackburn with Darwen Council · Pleasington Cemetery · Lower Fold Farm · Jim Casey · Environment Agency

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