Extra 1,000 burial plots are planned at Dudley Cemetery
More than 1,000 extra burial plots are set to be created as part of expansion plans to cope with demand at a Black Country cemetery, amid fears it could be full within months.
Council bosses said it was 'critical' that extra spaces were provided at Dudley Cemetery as they expect to run out of space by autumn.
There are just 140 plots remaining at the site in Stourbridge Road.
Dudley Council said the expansion would create enough plots for the next 30 to 40 years. It estimates the project will cost around £150,000.
Under the plans, public open space, currently used as a football pitch, off Clee Road, would be turned into burial ground.
As part of the scheme 1,000 adult plots, 150 cremation plots and 140 small plots would be created.
Bosses said the current football pitch is in a poor condition. They plan to replace it with a new field at a diffferent location.
It comes after the council agreed to increase burial fees by up to 15 per cent from April.
