WIDNES SCHOOL FIELD COULD BECOME £1.5M CEMETERY TO DEAL WITH GRAVEYARD SHORTAGE

DEAD Widnesians may have to be buried on a school sports pitch or in Runcorn within six years when Widnes Cemetery runs out of space.

The prediction is featured in a Halton Borough Council report, which also says residents from both towns could be interned outside the borough within seven years if more space for graves is not found.

A group of councillors, set up to review the matter, has reported that one possible solution is to build a £1.5m cemetery on Wade Deacon’s playing fields on Peel House Lane.

The school rents the former Fairfield buildings from Halton Council and the site will become available for the cemetery when Wade Deacon completes works at its main building on Birchfield Road and vacates the land for the graveyard.

It is not known how the £1.5m cemetery will be funded.

Councillors, led by Cllr Dave Thompson, will reveal their findings to the council’s environment and urban renewal board next Wednesday. A report said the graveyard would be in keeping with the dignity of burial.

Memorials on the proposed graveyard will be placed further apart than at Widnes Cemetery to reduce the risk of mourners tripping over.

The document added that Runcorn Cemetery has expanded but that this will fill up more than twice as quickly if it takes Widnes burials.

Cllr Ron Hignett (physical environment) said: “The preferred site will offer 65 years of burial space and provide sufficient space for those who wish to be buried in Widnes.

“If the recommendations are taken forward by the executive board, the cemetery could be ready to accept burials within five years.”