Sites marked for cemetery

At least five sites have been identified for a new cemetery in Cannock, the Express & Star can reveal.

Councillors will discuss the potential of each site, in secret, next week.

At the meeting, a decision will be made on which of the sites should be pursued. It is understood all five are owned privately and the council will need to enter into negotiations with the owners before any new cemetery can go ahead. The issue of new land for burials in Cannock has become increasingly pressing for the council after Cannock Cemetery was closed to new burials in 2006.In January last year, only five spaces were left for new plots and since the cemetery was full, residents in Cannock have been forced to bury their loved ones at Stile Cop cemetery in Rugeley, which has at least 25 years to run before it reaches capacity.

Now council officers have identified potential sites in the town, with at least one thought to be very close to Cannock's Cemetery in Pye Green Road.

Councillors on the Health Select Committee will debate the issue next week and recommend which should be pursued.

The cabinet of ruling councillors will then make a decision to start the negotiating process.

Cabinet member for health Ann Bernard, who is responsible for cemeteries, said the council had been examining land across the Cannock Chase district for potential new cemeteries.

She said: "This is in the very early stages and no decision has been taken.

"As a council we have been looking for new land since 1980; at one time the golf course on Stafford Road was earmarked for cemetery land.

"We will definitely consult with the public. Cannock is a growing area and if we don't look to do something now we are going to have problems for future generations."

Councillor Frank Allen, who demanded action last January, welcomed news of the development but added: "I would like to see any new site as close as possible to the current cemetery.

"It does seem to have been delayed; something should have been done before it became a problem."

By Shaun Lintern