5,000 more burial plots to combat Black Country shortage
Five thousand new burial plots will be created at a Black Country cemetery after plans were approved to combat a shortage of burial space currently in the region.
The proposal for Willenhall Lawn Cemetery, in Bentley Lane, was given the go-ahead by Walsall Council.
It was first mooted in 2012, with a follow-up plan submitted two years ago and the final plans lodged last year ahead of this week's approval.
The current cemetery site is expected to reach full capacity this year, with the new site set to be adjacent to the current cemetery.
It will add around 12 acres in order to cover burial needs at the site for the next 15 years.
Around £120,000 had been set aside by Walsall Council to explore the option of expanding the cemetery last year, with the aim of beginning construction within two years.
Councillor Ian Shires said of the decision to approve the plans: "There has been quite a bit of consultation carried out by our Liberal Democrat focus group with local residents concerning this plan, and I am pleased it seems to have been successful.
"It is important that these plans, as needed as they are, don't interfere with residents' lives and I think that through our contact with the developers we have achieved that.
"The original plans included creating an extra entrance on Bentley Lane leading to the cemetery extension and putting a turning circle on the site.
"However, by removing those aspects, we have ensured the lives of the public aren't interrupted and the site is used as efficiently as possible," Councillor Shires added.
"A concern of the public was there had been incidents of anti-social behaviour starting to occur at the site, so this news is welcome as it will put a stop to that."
There are no plans to increase parking spaces at the cemetery, which was built in 1966 before being expanded onto its current site in the early 1990s.
The land earmarked for expansion is green belt and currently in an overgrown state.
Willenhall Lawn Cemetery is one of a number of cemeterys managed by the council, alongside Wood Street, Ryecroft, Bloxwich, Bentley, North Walsall and Streetly.
The council has already invested in improvements at Streetly Crematorium in previous years.
The approval of the extension follows on from a huge outcry from residents across the borough in response to building a £3 million private cemetery in Aldridge Road, Walsall, where more than 1,200 names were collected on a petition.
Around £1.5m was allocated towards new cremators, extensive refurbishment and additional car parking.
