Horncastle Town Council seek views on borrowing £110k for new cemetery

The existing cemetery on Boston Road is nearly at capacity - and there are only enough free grave spaces remaining to last for approximately another two years.

Horncastle Town Council has purchased the field adjacent to the Horncastle Community Woodland, off Scriveslby Road.

East Lindsey District Council have granted planning permission to change the land into a new burial ground.

A spokesman from Horncastle Town Council said: “It is anticipated that the new cemetery will have enough grave spaces to serve the community for at least 200 years.

“All the work that has been carried out to date, including the purchase of the field, has been paid for by Horncastle Town Council’s Capital Reserve.

“But there are insufficient capital reserves to complete the work to create a new cemetery.

“The work includes creating a woodland driveway and internal parking area; constructing a cemetery store and toilet building, and resurfacing the main entrance car park.”

Horncastle Town Council expect the work to cost in the region of £110,000.

A Horncastle Town Council spokesman added: “The town council is proposing to seek a loan for this amount to be repaid over 50 years.

“The cost of the loan repayments has been included in the town council’s budget.

“Repaying the loan over 50 years will enable the cost of the new cemetery to be shared with future residents of the town.

“The alternatives are:

• Not having burial facilities in the town

• Raising funds by increasing the council tax.

Members of the public are invited to have their say on Horncastle Town Council borrowing money to fund the new cemetery.

An online survery is availabe here

Paper copies are also available from Horncastle Library and at the town council office in Stanhope Hall.

• Participants in the survey must live in Horncastle itself.

For further information, email [email protected] or call 01507 522957.