Sadly the day has come residents can request internments and burials due to a lack of space at the village cemetery.
Stansted Mountfitchet Parish Council will continue to honour any existing commitments made for burials as well as for internments for family graves (with capacity) at St Mary’s.
But, for all other circumstances, SMPC can only advise residents to consult with funeral directors for nearby alternatives.
No spare space
The parish cemetery next to St Mary’s Church has been administered by SMPC since 1956.
In that time we have tried to accommodate any resident’s wishes to be buried at the site off Church Road.
But now there are an estimated 500 graves and cremation plots at a cemetery that occupies just half an acre of land.
With no extra capacity, the cemetery has simply almost run out of space.
New plot, new houses?
SMPC has been working with landowners to find more burial land.
The good news is, they are open to the possibility. But the provision of land for a new cemetery is contingent on support for further housing development in Stansted.
Even if agreement can be reached, extensive soil testing and archaeological studies will then be needed and the land prepared. This could take up to a year.
So, there is no short-term fix on the horizon to a shortage of space at St Mary’s.
Open for visits
We would like to underline that the cemetery will still remain open, as always, to members of the public to enjoy the tranquility provided by the cemetery and its surroundings, and for those who visit to pay respects to lover ones laid to rest at St Mary’s.