Burgess Hill Burial Ground to double in size to provide ‘peaceful and sympathetically designed’ resting place for another 30 years

The Town Council announced in its About Town magazine that it has successfully applied to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government for a Public Works Loan Board of up to £300,000 to fund the project

The article said: “The Town Council has also appointed a project manager and developer to deliver the project. The start of construction is planned for spring 2025.”

The existing burial ground (phase one) was formally opened on June 26, 2004.

A notice at www.burgesshill.gov.uk/burial-ground described phase two, saying: “The existing burial ground (phase one) has, for over 20 years, provided a respectful and serene final resting place for members of the Burgess Hill community.

“Within the next two to three years, the burial ground will start to reach capacity and the town council is now looking to develop the site immediately adjacent to the existing burial ground to provide a peaceful and sympathetically designed setting for the residents of Burgess Hill for the next 30 years.”

Burgess Hill Town Council is the burial authority for the parish of Burgess Hill and maintains the site on Jane Murray Way. The council said it was ‘sympathetically designed’ to blend in with its rural setting, adding that the Green Woodland area offers an opportunity to enhance the environment while creating ‘a living monument’ to loved ones.

The council said planning restrictions limit the size of headstones (750mm high by 600mm wide) but said there is ‘a level of design flexibility’ within these parameters. The site is non-consecrated and open to all denominations. There is an area set aside for the burial of children, and ‘The Glade’ is for scattering ashes. The Green area has facilities for both burials and cremations and aims to recreate traditional woodland while being a habitat for wildlife.

The site has a notice about the Proposal Variation of condition 11 of application 00/02576/FUL, which will allow for design changes to ‘allow additional parking spaces and maintenance/storage yard’. The Town Council has applied to Mid Sussex District Council for this, via the agent Beckett Architectural and Consultancy Services. People can view this using reference DM/25/0379 at pa.midsussex.gov.uk/online-applications.