Cemetery services

Councils are not required to provide burial space, although many do so. The council owns and manages two cemeteries:

• Hanwell Cemetery, Ealing
• Gunnersbury Cemetery, Hounslow

The cost for residents of the borough to be buried is cheaper in these council-owned cemeteries than elsewhere.

Both cemeteries are running out of new grave plots. If no action is taken, residents of the borough will have to pay more for plots and burial elsewhere. The cemeteries are currently self-funding, but this will not be the case once grave space runs out.

There are options to use older graves, either through direct reuse of the graves or by adding more soil to create new burial space above.

Consultation

We would like to hear the views of as many residents as possible:

• on the options available to us for increasing grave space, or
• whether the cemeteries should stop accepting new burials, except where a grave plot is already owned

We are also speaking to faith leaders across the borough to get their views.

Our consultation will focus on two questions:

• whether residents think our cemeteries should stop accepting new burials when at capacity. This would mean that borough residents, who do not already have burial rights to a grave plot in the cemetery, would have to bury loved ones elsewhere and at a greater cost
• looking at different ways to increase the capacity within our existing cemeteries. The options for increasing capacity have already been implemented successfully in other London boroughs where burial capacity is an issue.

There are two options for creating additional burial space:

Option one: reusing a grave

Graves, excluding World War 2 graves, that have not been buried in for over 75 years can revert to the council following a consultation period. This would allow either:

• any spare space within individual graves to be used by someone else, or
• lifting and reburying the existing remains deeper within the original grave and reuse the whole grave for up to three burials.

Option two: raising ground levels within an area at Hanwell Cemetery

Raising the ground levels within an area of Hanwell Cemetery and leaving the graves below undisturbed.An area of Hanwell cemetery contains common graves from the Victorian era that are over 120 years old. This area could be ‘mounded up’ to raise ground levels and create new depth for future burials. This would potentially create hundreds of new grave plots without disturbing existing remains. It would involve the limited removal of memorials; there are very few memorials in place in this area.

Residents consultations

Join us at our drop-in sessions to meet Parks and Cemeteries staff and help shape the future of burials in our cemeteries.

 

Frequently asked questions

Why are we holding a consultation?

The two cemeteries owned and managed by the council are running out of new grave plots. If no action is taken, the cemeteries will need to stop accepting new burials and residents will need to pay more for grave plots outside the borough.

The council has exhausted all opportunities to create additional grave space within the existing cemeteries. The only option for creating additional burial space is through some form of grave reuse. A special Act of Parliament allows authorities in London to reuse graves more the 75 years old.

How will you let us know which graves could be reused?

If grave reuse is supported, a follow-up consultation will be held to identify which graves are suitable for reuse. This consultation will run for 12 months.

What happens to memorials or headstones that are disturbed?

The right to place a memorial on a grave runs for the same period as the owner has rights to the grave. When these rights expire, the holder will be contacted and offered an extension.

Where the grave owner does not wish to remove the memorial, it will be retained where possible and reused to ensure the character of the cemetery is maintained. For example, where possible the memorial will be turned around and will face the opposite direction to make room for the new headstone or alternatively the back can be used for inscription of any future burials. All removals will be catalogued (photographed and recorded) and handled sensitively.

What happens to remains that are removed?

No remains are removed from the grave site during this process. Remains handled under lift and deepen are separated as the grave is dug and placed in a container for reburial. This happens at the grave site and is handled with care and sensitivity.

What is mounding up of graves?

Mounding up of graves involves the addition of new soil on top of the existing ground. This raises the ground level in a particular area of the cemetery. This allows for another burial on the same plot, but without disturbing the current remains.

Would any graves be excluded from the reuse plans?

No graves used less than 75 years ago would be reused, plus anyone who died during either World War will be excluded from the reuse plan. Graves belonging to or containing victims of the Grenfell tragedy will also be protected from grave reuse.

Is it possible to buy more land instead of reusing land?

Land in the borough is extremely expensive and a new cemetery would have to compete with the needs for residential, commercial, employment and leisure developments.

Land in neighbouring boroughs, within reasonable travelling distance for Kensington and Chelsea residents, is subject to similar issues and demands.

Are Kensal and Brompton cemeteries included in this strategy?

The two in-borough cemeteries, Kensal Green Cemetery and Brompton Cemetery are not owned or managed by the council. Kensal is run by a private company and Brompton is run by the Royal Parks. These cemeteries do not offer beneficial rates for residents and are not included in the strategy.

Which other councils are implementing a reuse strategy?

Our strategy is based on best practice from other local authorities, the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM), and uses current legislation. The following councils have implemented some form of burial space reuse:

City of London

Southwark

Croydon

Royal Parks - Brompton Cemetery

Grave reuse legislation currently only covers London as this is where capacity is most restricted, however proposals are in place to permit this countrywide as cemeteries across the country reach their capacity.

Why will you ask again in 10 years if not supported?

Ten years is considered an appropriate amount to time to wait prior to undertaking further consultation to see if views have changed. In addition, this will coincide with the expiry of the first 75-year terms of burial.

What happens once all graves are full, even with implementing this reuse strategy?

If the reuse strategy is approved, it is anticipated that the mounding up of an area at Hanwell Cemetery and reclamation of graves currently more than 75 years old would create hundreds of new burial spaces.

This coupled with the continued expiration of graves on 75-year leases will mean that there is a steady volume of burial plots becoming available each year for reuse. In the medium term, this would reduce the possibility of the cemeteries reaching capacity.