A Cookstown cemetery has been given the go ahead for a series of improvement works from Mid Ulster Council.
The works, which will see £300,000 in funding provided to Forthill Cemetery in Co Tyrone as well as the Polepatrick Cemetery in Magherafelt, will include new lighting, refurbished pathways, and the planting of new trees.
The plan at Cookstown cemetery is due to begin this week and is expected to continue for 14 weeks.
Mid Ulster District Council Environment Committee chair Councillor Wesley Brown said disruption at the cemeteries will be minimal.
He added: “While this is important work to ensure that our cemeteries continue to be well-maintained and accessible for visitors, we are very conscious that our cemeteries are places of rest and reflection.
“Work will be undertaken with sensitivity and care to ensure those visiting their loved ones can continue to do so with as little inconvenience as possible”.
Cookstown UUP Councillor Trevor Wilson said these cemetery works and the provision of a new graveyard in the town was part of the council's aim to be "forward-thinking".
He added: "We're making sure that everything is in place over the next few decades, as well as the provision of a new cemetery at the south end of the town.
"We have land at the south end of the town and we are looking into the possibility of having a new cemetery there.
"It's absolutely necessary, we are putting in footpaths and foundations for headstones which will make the cemetery safer."
For the latest breaking news straight to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter here.
