Grave concerns for Alsager

Graveyard dec 2014There are concerns that Alsager’s only burial ground could be full up in two years time. The Rev Toby May has warned that the burial ground in Church Road is running out of space and will soon reach it’s capacity. He says that they are already having to fill in pathways because space is that tight and expects that the graveyard will be completely full in two years time. The concerns are shared by Alsager’s funeral directors Joseph Edwards and Sons. Owner Andrew Edwards said that they have been calling for extra burial space for 20 years and an allotment site in Cedar Avenue had been previoulsy earmarked for a graveyard but the Borough Council opened a municipal graveyard in Congleton instead. The church can’t afford to buy extra land so an appeal is being made to Cheshire East Council to provide an aditional site in Alsager. But the Council claim they already fulfil their statutory duty to maintain adequate burial facilities within the borough as they run 11 municipal cemeteries with enough capacity to meet needs for many years to come. As Alsager is set to grow significantly in the next 10 years there will be even more demand for burial space and it is hoped that some land may be set aside as part of a future development. If additional space can’t be found families would be forced to bury their loved ones outside of Alsager in either Crewe or Congleton meaning longer journeys to visit graves. Rev May said: “If people have been born and bred in Alsager, that is where they want to be buried. But the biggest issue is for relatives visiting the graves. The thought of some elderly residents having to get on a bus and travel to Congleton to visit them is appalling.”

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