The oldest graves in a cemetery in Hertfordshire could be reused after concerns that the area will run out of room for burials within a decade. Almost all the graves date back to before 1949 with many dating back to the 1800s. Graves where there is a recorded interment more recently than 31st December 1949 won’t be affected.
A list of more than a thousand burial records has been published showing those which may be affected in the Old Cemetery in Bishop’s Stortford. Infants and stillborn babies who died in the mid-19th century are among those whose graves could be reused.
The list, which is compiled from around 900 graves, has been published by Bishop’s Stortford Town Council, which has gained permission to reuse the plots from the Diocese of St Albans. It’s believed to be the only local authority outside London to have been granted the power under a diocese faculty and the Bishop’s Stortford Cemetery Act 2024, without government permission.
A notice posted on the Town Council’s website said the “powers are subject to certain conditions and protections for relatives of the deceased". The notice continued, “all grave re-opens in the re-use areas will be undertaken with the utmost dignity, due care, and diligence due to the likelihood of human skeletal remains being disturbed. Where possible, this work will be undertaken before the Old Cemetery is open to the public, although there will be occasions where work will need to proceed during normal opening hours.”
It added that grave diggers would be aware of the need “to maintain dignity at all times” and of the potential for visitors attending nearby graves to be offended.
The Council said that all remains that are disturbed will be re-buried in the same grave in which they are found. It said every effort would be made to contact families and seek permission to reuse graves which are more than 75 years old.
It’s understood that relatives of a person buried in an affected grave can prevent the plot from being reused for at least 25 years if they lodge an objection with the authority by October.
None of the affected graves is maintained as a Commonwealth War Grave.