Consultation: £13 a year council tax rise required to fund Buckingham’s new cemetery

Buckingham residents are being asked if they support Buckingham Town Council taking out a £2.4 million loan to build a new cemetery, depot and allotments – putting £12 to £13 a year on the average council tax bill.

Buckingham’s existing cemetery, on Brackley Road, is almost at capacity, with only another two years left for burials. If another cemetery site is not created, people from Buckingham would have to be buried elsewhere or consider alternative options.

The town council has obtained outline planning permission for 9.2 acres of land along the A421 to be developed into a new burial ground with enough grave spaces to serve the community for another 160 years, together with allotments and a works depot.

The new cemetery site would include 1,474 burial plots, including areas for traditional burials, lawn burials, a children’s section and an additional wooded area for ashes, along with 30 allotment plots, parking for 30 cars and large sections of wildflower and tree planting.

The proposed site is off the A421 Tingewick Road roundabout, on the opposite side from the Tingewick Road housing development. It is not on Green Belt land or an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

To fund the development, Buckingham Town Council proposes taking out a £2.4 million Public Works Loan (at a final cost of around £5.5 to £6 million), and it’s launched a public consultation to assess public support for the plan.

The repayments on the loan would cost around £126,500 a year. Part of that money is already budgeted for, but it would be necessary to increase the precept by around £68,000 - which is an extra £12 to £13 a year for a Band D property.

Mayor of Buckingham, Margaret Gateley, said: “Buckingham Town Council needs to know your views on the right way forward for the proposed new cemetery in our town.

"Please take a moment to complete the cemetery consultation questionnaire, so that we are aware of public opinion on this important project. It is vital that we hear from as many residents as possible.”

The consultation closes on Thursday, January 19.

See www.buckingham-tc.gov.uk/new-cemetery-consultation or email [email protected] or call 01280 816426 if you have any questions.