The Church in Wales has warned that Wales may soon run out of space to bury the dead, with many cemeteries lacking sufficient space and nearing full capacity.
Alex Glanville, the Church in Wales' head of property services, said it was no longer a given that people could be buried in their local communities, according to BBC News.
'The majority of our churchyards will soon be full and we do not have the resources to extend them or open new ones,' he said.
Councils face varying situations across Wales. Some graveyards have nearly 100 years left, others only a few, before they run out of space. Others have already reached full capacity. The Church in Wales, which has to fund the upkeep of its graveyards, said it faced a 'significant repair bill' since full plots no longer receive income from new burials.
Citing a 'crisis point', the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM) has called for new legislation allowing graves to be reused.
'Because of the pressures on land, due to new developments and housing, it is not always possible to find space for a new cemetery,' ICCM chief executive Julie Dunk said.
'Even if they do build a new cemetery, the existing one still needs to be maintained, which is the council's statutory duty, because there are no new burials it becomes a financial burden on the local authorities.'
The institute has suggested allowing the deceased to be exhumed after 75 years, family consent permitting, with their bodies placed into smaller coffins to create more space.
The issue is particularly pertinent for those traditions – such as Islam – where burial of the dead, not cremation, is the only legitimate funeral rite. 'If we do not take action, we could be denying people their religious rights,' Dunk said.
