Council bosses are seeking a ‘screening opinion’ for a potential new cemetery in Elgin to ramp up cemetery provision.
Moray Council has revealed the new cemetery could include a public car park, access road, compostable toilet, combined footpath and cycle path for access.
Officials will look at a possible site at Linkwood Road, Dunkinty to see whether the potential cemetery is likely to have significant effects on the environment.
A council spokeswoman said that they don’t have timescales for the actual application being submitted.
Why is a new cemetery needed?
Earlier this year, the council committed £1.7 million in their budget to expand cemetery provision in the region’s biggest town.
In 1925, councils took over responsibility for most graveyards from the Church of Scotland in 1925.
Around three years, officials said a new cemetery in Elgin was “necessary” in the next 10 years.
It was also noted that Broomhill in Keith and Lossiemouth would require extensions.
Now the current cemetery on Linkwood road is almost full.
In 2019, the Press and Journal ran a week-long investigation series.
It exposed a looming capacity crisis affecting cemeteries in almost every corner of northern Scotland.
Discoveries included Moray Council even considered burying the dead under cemetery paths at some sites, as it struggled to find the cash to pay for extensions.
At the time, Moray MP Douglas Ross raised concerns: “This is something that has been raised with me by constituents who are extremely concerned about the future.
“If plans are not taken forward, this could have the unthinkable consequence that some families and communities may not have the choice to bury their loved ones where they want to, if there are no plots available.
“Clearly, that cannot be allowed to happen and action needs to be taken to tackle this.”
‘New cemetery is really needed’
Elgin councillor Peter Bloomfield said a new cemetery is “much-needed” for the town.
He said: “The current cemetery is nearly full.
“Therefore the town requires a new cemetery.
“The issue has been raised in the past and there is clear cross-party support for the potential new cemetery.
“It is something we need to address in Elgin.
“The proposed site for the new cemetery is the only possible option to tackle this issue.”
Conversation