Council to consider building new crematorium in Derry

By Alan Healy Deputy Editor DERRY’S council is look at the possibility of building a new crematorium for the city and district, it has emerged. It comes after the Derry News revealed in January that the local council was seeking land owners to put forward potential sites for a new cemetery on the cityside. It emerged in 2014 that the City Cemetery was expected to reach full capacity by 2024. There are currently 77,284 people buried within the City Cemetery. In 2014, the cold Derry City Council began work on the development of 700 new plots at the remaining undeveloped land at the City Cemetery. However, there were warnings at the time that the 700 new spaces would only provide enough burial space for the next ten years on the city side of Derry. Speaking to the Derry News the independent councillor Sean Carr, who is also an undertaker, said that given the current demand for new plots, the existing space in the City Cemetery would run out within the next five years. Given the level of demand for new burial spaces, Cllr Carr, a long advocate for the facility, renewed his call for the local council to look at the possibility of building a new crematorium for the Derry and Strabane areas, which could also service families from Donegal. in July 2015 a feasibility report carried out by the council found crematorium was not deemed viable for the local council area. The report showed that the cost of building such a facility would run to £5m to £6m, with the Ballyoan Cemetery in Crescent Link was deemed to be the most suitable location. Costs However, the study revealed that while cremations were a popular option in Britain, where 75 per cent of people chose to be cremated, only 20 per cent of people in Northern Ireland chose to be cremated, all of which are catered for at the Roselawn site in Belfast. The report added that taking into account that there were 3,300 deaths across the catchment area of Derry, Strabane, Donegal, Limavady and Coleraine annually, there would not be sufficient cremations local for a council run crematorium to cover its own costs and break even. However, given that the Derry and Strabane council areas merged in 2015, there have been renewed calls for the council to take a fresh look at the crematorium issue, given the increased local population and the nearest facility being Roselawn in Belfast. A spokesperson for the council told the Derry News that it was now ‘considering’ options, including that of working alongside other local authorities. “Officers have been considering possible options including working with other councils on a regional approach. “A report is expected to come before the next Environment and Regeneration Committee for members’ consideration.” Commenting, Cllr Carr welcomed the move. “This is something I have been calling for over the past 15 years, we have a lot more people now living in this council area and it’s something that needs look at again urgently,” he added. “The journey to Belfast to use Roselawn can also be a burden on families who are already struggling with the loss of a loved one.”