- Bishop’s Stortford Town Council plans to reuse over 900 grave plots in Bishop’s Stortford Old Cemetery, Hertfordshire, to address a critical shortage of burial space projected by 2036.
- The council has identified 1,068 burial records, some dating back to 1855 and including infants, for potential reuse, none of which have seen burials since 1949.
- This initiative is possible due to unprecedented powers granted by the Bishop’s Stortford Cemetery Act 2024 and approval from the Diocese of St Albans, making it the only authority outside London with such parliamentary powers without requiring special government permission.
- Council leader Miriam Swainston assured that affected sites will be treated with the utmost respect, and relatives have until 15 October 2026 to lodge an objection, which would prevent reuse for at least 25 years.
- This local decision follows a Law Commission report earlier this year, which recommended a mandatory 100-year period between interments and reuse, and wider reforms to allow more burial ground operators across England and Wales to reuse graves with government approval.
IN FULL
Hertfordshire town reopens century-old graves for new burials due to space shortage
