IN AN attempt to combat funeral poverty Bromsgrove District Council has made more graves available for advance purchase.

There are a limited number of ‘purchase in reserve’ full graves on offer after expanding North Bromsgrove Cemetery on Barley Mow Lane.

The graves will be within the already existing mature section of the cemetery and will come with 75 year leases, and the rights to erect memorials.

Councillor Margaret Sherry, Bromsgrove District Council’s portfolio holder for health and well being and environmental services, said: “In some parts of the country buying a burial plot is increasingly difficult or even impossible, due to a lack of available burial space.

"It’s a concern for many people. But in Bromsgrove we have planned ahead, invested in expanded burial space, and bucked that national trend.

"It means we are now able to help people to plan, and to combat funeral poverty and inflation, by purchasing graves in advance.

"People can choose to ‘fix’ a big part of the cost of burial at today’s prices if they wish.”

Mike Birkinshaw, Bromsgrove District Council’s bereavement services manager, added: “We now have about eighty years’ worth of space, and being able to offer reserve graves will help us to help people plan for the ever rising costs of funerals.”

Bromsgrove District Council recently invested £293,000 into extending cemetery space in the area, which were completed earlier this year.

For more details or to reserve a grave, visit bromsgrove.gov.uk/cemeteries