New £1.2m cemetery now open in Lincoln

A new £1.2 million burial site off Long Leys Road in Lincoln has been officially opened, with provisions to manage the city’s needs for 30 to 50 years.

Mayor of Lincoln Councillor Brent Charlesworth launched the site by cutting the ribbon on Tuesday, July 22.

The cemetery, which has space for around 4,000 burial plots, also includes a flower meadow which has been earmarked for ‘green burials’.

A staff and toilet block is located near the main gate, plus a new footpath leading from the cemetery to Long Leys Road.

As previously reported, the cost of burials at the site will be higher than other city cemetery fees.

The proposed cost of buying a burial plot at the site is £540, £130 for cremated remains, and £130 for a baby plot.

Burial fees are £640, £80 to £100 for burial of cremated remains, and there is no cost for burial of a child up to the age of 16.

Pricing is also higher for non-city residents, with a non-resident full burial plot costing £1,080, and £260 for a cremated remains or baby grave plot.

Councillor Fay Smith, Portfolio Holder for Environmental Services and Public Protection, said: “It’s been 160 years since we last opened a cemetery in this city.

“We realised 10 years ago we were going to face a shortage of burial spaces in the city and took the decision to make this significant investment so that we could meet the city’s needs for the future.

“Although 86% of our customers in Lincoln currently choose to be cremated, there are people who want the option to be buried and it’s important we make this possible.

“This is a fantastic new facility for the city, offering a quiet, accessible space for loved ones to visit, with plots available for cremated remains as well.

“I would like to thank everyone who was involved in this project. It was a challenging site due to the natural springs in the area, and the design team have done a great job creating an attenuation pond that is functional but attractive.”

Water drainage has been a major challenge on the sloping Long Leys Road site, which was chosen from more than 20 locations considered.

The problem has been tackled by the installation of a pond and buried retention tank at the bottom, which enables a gradual release of surplus water into the drainage system.
 
Plants and trees have been chosen for their natural ability to absorb underground water to alleviate the problem further as well as act as screening for nearby houses.

Development of the new cemetery has been overseen by the council’s Bereavement Services Officer Nick Barton, who is responsible for managing the council’s five existing cemeteries.

He said: “The great advantage of Long Leys Road Cemetery is that we can start offering the purchase of plots in advance, for example for people who want to buy a plot next to a loved one or who want to better prepare financially for their funeral.

“We haven’t been able to do this up until now as the other cemeteries are either full or have limited space available.

“We know a lot of people have family ties with the city so people who don’t live in Lincoln can also apply to be buried here.  
 
“Some villages are growing quickly which is putting pressure on burial space so that is bound to have an impact on us in the future.” 

The council currently manages and maintains five burial sites – Canwick Road old and new, St Swithin’s off Washingborough Road, Newport near St Nicholas’ and Eastgate.

Limited spaces are available at all of these apart from Eastgate which is full and only available for re-opening of existing graves.

For more information and pricing regarding the Long Leys Road cemetery, people can contact the City of Lincoln Council’s Bereavement Services team.