Plans for new Cannock Chase district cemetery move forward

There is currently a lack of burial space in the southern part of the Cannock Chase district as the Pye Green Road cemetery has been closed to new burials since April 2006.

This means residents opting for burial after they die have had to move out of town to Rugeley’s Stile Cop Cemetery.

A new cemetery is on the cards however, and a site at Norton Canes has been identified to serve the south of the district.

At the start of 2019 London-based firm Horizon Cremation was granted permission to build a new crematorium in Cannock.

And Cannock Chase District Council is working with the cremation firm to create the new cemetery nearby.

Councillor Christine Mitchell told Thursday’s virtual cabinet meeting: “We have been looking for a new site for the cemetery for a number of years. We purchased the former Bleak House site in 2014 and got planning permission for the cemetery in 2015.

“This is a key project of the council and I ask members of the council to consider and agree to the recommendations and look forward to getting on with it.”

Fellow cabinet members gave the green light for additional funds to be allocated to the project to allow works relating to the development and operation of the new cemetery to progress, as well as granting permission for the money to be spent.

The capital budget for the project has been increased by £100,000, meaning the revised capital programme for the scheme now totals £1.411m.

A revenue budget of £53,870 was also agreed to start up and run the site when it is opened – but the cemetery is expected to be self-financing within a three-year period, a cabinet report said.

The report added: “Tender exercises have been undertaken for the two key elements of phase 1 of the project; for the civil works and the reception building and contractors are now awaiting award confirmation, subject to cabinet approval.

“Additional capital costs for the provision of a road crossing point by the council and shared access works with the crematorium facility have been identified, together with the capital and revenue budgets required to run and operate the facility when it is completed.

“The proposed phased development will provide local access to burial facilities in the south of the district for at least the next 25 years.”

Council leader George Adamson said: “This has been a long time commitment to have a Cannock cemetery. As much as we love Rugeley not everyone wants to spend eternity there.

“It has taken a long time to find the right site but we have got there in the end. I recommend we start work as soon as we can to get the cemetery up and running.”