Plans for new 2,700 plot cemetery submitted

Plans to build a new 2,700-plot cemetery on the border of Sandwell and Birmingham have been submitted.

A total of 2,721 new plots could be built on land neighbouring Handsworth Cemetery and Sandwell Park Golf Club.

The cemetery would be built on the site of an old bungalow that has become "underutilised and overgrown" after the last tenant, who kept horses and other farm animals, died several years ago.

Designs accompanying the application show the cemetery would be bordered by the golf course's 11th, 13th and 14th holes.

A statement included with the application said: "The land currently comprises largely unmanaged and overgrown ground that previously supported a residential bungalow and small-scale agricultural use.

"At present the site does not function as a public park, recreation ground or community open space.

"Importantly, the site is privately owned and is not publicly accessible.

"It therefore does not provide publicly available recreational open space and does not operate as part of the publicly accessible open space network."

A 30-space car park is also included in the proposals submitted to Sandwell Council by PE Property Twenty Nine.

According to the application, the creation of the extra plots would help tackle a "well-recognised" shortage of burial space in the region.

"Recent reports and planning reviews highlight that traditional burial plots are becoming increasingly scarce across England and this pressure is expected to intensify as the population grows and preference for traditional burial persists," the application said.

It added the development would be "a meaningful and timely contribution to meeting current and future burial needs within Sandwell and the wider region".

"The cemetery layout has been designed to retain openness, respect existing landscape features, and provide a dignified and tranquil environment."

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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