Reading City Council plans to turn allotments into ‘tragic’ cemeteries

Plans to convert plots of land used to grow vegetables and flowers into graves are “tragic,” gardeners said.

Under the proposals, a site on Henley Road would provide around 2,300 new graves, Reading Borough Council said.

The site is a “reserve cemetery”, i.e. it was only used for allotments until more space was needed for burials.

But gardeners on the site have spoken out against the plans and the impact they would have on those who use the site for recreation.

Jenny Morgan, who has been growing vegetables and flowers for over 30 years, said: “The potential for this [the allotment site] that everything is destroyed is actually quite tragic.”

“Many of the people here are at an age where they need to get out and get some vitamin D and exercise.

“If they take the land away, there's a chance they'll need even more space in the cemetery for those who are no longer active.”

His colleague Phillip Dunn, an allotment owner, said: “Once that happens, you never get the land back. And I am convinced that there must be better land on which you can perhaps build other facilities for the cemetery that are better than this little piece of land that we have here.”

Reading Borough Council had previously warned that the district was likely By 2030, space for new burials will be scarce.

However, the use of the Henley Road properties would delay this process by about 14 years, the authority said.

The “originally intended use” of the allotment gardens is the most realistic and cost-effective solution, the council explained.

Before the final decision is made in January 2025, a consultation with allotment owners, residents and religious communities will be initiated.

If the plans are approved, allotment holders could be offered rent-free periods until they move out, and support if they want to move their garden to another location.