Grave fears raised over Littlehampton Cemetery expansion

Dozens of residents living in Timberleys raised their concerns about plans to expand the Littlehampton Cemetery in a letter to the nation’s planning ombudsman last Wednesday.

They fear that if the plans, which are being undertaken by Arun District Council, are allowed to progress, it would open up the doors for burial plots to be made within inches of their back gardens.

Mark Lindsay, 56, said: “This is just unfair on both the residents and the people who could be buried in the plots. There won’t be any privacy.”

Nikolas Antoniou, head of development control at Arun, explained all of the land within the boundaries of the cemetery is cemetery land and that it was inevitable that as the site naturally fills over time more of the land will need to be used.

This means there is no need to make planning applications for a changes of use of the land because the land benefits from the use. He said he was aware of residents’ concerns but said Arun had always managed to minimise plots being near homes.

He added: “We would like to reassure our residents that due to our sympathetic management of this site, there is no immediate cause for concern, we use the space as efficiently as we can, and do not anticipate any burial plots having to be laid at the furthest edge of residential boundaries for at least five years.”