App 2 - NO PRE-SALE - ALL SITES - update 2024
Argyll and Bute Council · 19 December 2024
Back to Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee — 19 December 2024 and its agenda
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APPENDIX 2 ARGYLL and BUTE COUNCIL - CEMETERY RULES 2023 > EDI – 19th Dec 2024 NO PRE-SALE OF LAIRS – Full List of locations October 2024 update LESS THAN 10 YEARS AVAILABLE SPACE OR # PREVIOUS LOCAL PRIORITY ARRANGEMENTS. HELENSBURGH AND LOMOND LOCATION REASON FOR NO PRE- SALE MITIGATION MEASURES / NOTES Luss Church Yard and Cemetery # Pre-sale of lairs restricted, due to limited land available. Attractive location – tourist area None available - new location to be considered if local burial service to be retained. Sale of lairs restricted to Luss residents only. Faslane Cemetery # Pre-sale of lairs restricted, due to limited land available within current boundary. No option to expand Cemetery building removed and other areas converted - a further ~40nr lairs created Restricted to Faslane parish residents only. 4 more new lairs 2024 Barbour Cemetery Previously - Less than 10 years available, prior to restrictions. None – Adjacent land unsuitable due to shallow rock depth. No sales last year BUTE AND COWAL LOCATION REASON FOR NO PRE- SALE MITIGATION MEASURES / NOTES Kingarth cemetery South Bute Less than 10 years available at current annual rate of sale. 3 sold in last year – less than half the calculated 5 year average. Additional 30nr lairs created in current ground - Further on old church footprint tbc - plus enquiries regarding PH2 extension. Initial contact with landowner Summer 2024 onwards. Cnoc-an-raer Cemetery North Bute Previously - less than 10 years available, only 4 sold in last year Section 2 to be expanded and developed within owned land footprint. Kilmorich (Cairndow) Cemetery Less than 10 years available at current annual rate of sale. 1 sold 2024, leaving 1 space remaining No adjacent land available – option for new extension in wooded ground – poor conditions / cost prohibitive Strachur Cemetery Less than 10 years available at current annual rate of sale. 3 spaces sold in last year, only 3 spaces remaining. Additional 15nr lairs by relocating access road. New site south of village – Ground investigation works Nov 23 proved poor conditions - Unsuitable within SEPA regs. Other local sites tbc. Kilmun Cemetery Less than 10 years available at current annual rate of Additional 20 - 30nr lairs by maximising space. Possible
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sale, 3 sold in last 12 months. scope to expand 30nr further tbc – no option to expand site. Cowal (Sandbank) Cemetery Less than 10 years available at current annual rate of sale. Maximising space within current boundaries awaiting new adjacent extension development. Additional drainage and footpaths to develop 110nr lairs within current site. Adjacent land at Torlochan Site – Dept. responsibility transferred to RIS. Further trial holes July 2024 – report to SEPA - acceptability confirmed. Kilmodan (Glendaruel) Cemetery Previously - less than 10 years available at current annual rate of sale. No sale in last 12 months No scope to extend, new development unlikely - SEPA water course / Flood plain restrictions, affecting planning consent. Lochgoilhead Cemetery Previously - less than 10 years available at current annual rate of sale. Only 1 sold in last year. No adjacent land available –new extension in wooded ground – cost prohibitive - new site to be investigated North of Inveronich – tbc. MID-ARGYLL, KINTYRE and ISLANDS LOCATION REASON FOR NO PRE- SALE MITIGATION MEASURES / NOTES Carrick Cemetery # 70 lairs released for sale with no scope to expand – no presale restriction to preserve service Surrounding land unavailable or unsuitable. Future access road no longer required - lair space released. Kilkerran Cemetery (Campbeltown) Less than 10 years available at current annual rate of sale. Re-assessment of available space within ownership = 115 lairs available for sale, at 1st Oct 2024 with 15 spaces sold in last 12 months = less than 7 years. Additional 100nr lairs in existing “6th Section” by converting roads and footpaths. Investigation of land North of Cemetery. MoD ownership / navigation issues now resolved. Land purchase process commencing Sept 2024 towards PH1 dev – 2025-27 Patchen Cemetery Kintyre Previously - less than 10 years available at current annual rate of sale, 1 last year, ave. = 2p.a. Additional extension in field – initial site investigation required to confirm SEPA compliance - 2025 onwards. Bowmore Cemetery Islay Marginally 10 years available at current annual rate of sale, with 5 sales in last 12 months. Additional extension in field – initial site investigation required to confirm SEPA compliance. - 2025 onwards. OBAN, LORN and the ISLES LOCATION REASON FOR NO PRE- SALE MITIGATION MEASURES / NOTES Sorobay ( Tiree ) Less than 10 years remaining 2024 calculation – extension required
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Iona Cemetery # Sale restricted to Iona residents New site enquiries by 2035 onwards Beadoun (Tobermory ) Cemetery # Restrictions on Pre-sale in place in PH1 Constructed ~2008, to remain in place in new 2023 PH2 extension to preserve Burial Service in town. No sales in last 12 months. Approximately 210nr lairs available in new extension. Release to “open sale” likely to trigger “10 year rule” after first 12 months. No scope to expand further due to cost prohibitive construction and land tenure conditions on adjacent ground. Third site to be sought - limited suitable ground available. Calgary Cemetery Mull # Sale restricted to local parish residents – at point of requirement – but in pairs due to depth ( or until improvements achieved) New extension in process of being acquired. Planning app submitted Sept 2024 for revised, upfill to full depth lairs, in phases - Ph 1 2026-27 tbc Pennygowan Cemetery , Mull Previously - less than 10 years available at current annual rate of sale. No sales in last 12 months Adjacent land – unsuitable due to shallow rock, water/peat - limited scope elsewhere for new site. Isle of Lismore Cemetery # Sale restricted to local parish residents – at point of requirement Improvement to existing cemetery now provides 100+ years but only if local restrictions remain. Rock at shallow depth in “half” the current cemetery, treated June - July 2024 and up-filled to maintain burial service. SEPA reg restricting further expansion at this site. Limited suitable land elsewhere on the island. Kilbrandon (Old/New) # Sale restricted to parish residents with 2 sales in last year, ave.=1 p.a. Limited remaining space. “New” cemetery operating in parallel. Achnaba Cemetery # Sale restricted to parish residents with 2 sales in last 12 months. Gifted Extension ~2009, no scope for further development at this site. Appin Cemetery # Sale restricted to parish residents Alternative site Glen Stockdale explored ~2015 but not suitable ?. Extension in 2021 on remaining area of suitable ground ~ 90nr lairs = 90yrs? - No further extension here. Explanatory notes Note 1 – Calculation of remaining space / operating years. The calculation for average rate of sale and lairs remaining, fluctuates annually for each cemetery. The calculations in App1 will trigger the “10 year” restriction when the remaining lairs available for sale is less than 10 x annual average sales. Thereafter, the restrictions on pre-sale, are designed to slow down the annual rate of sale to preserve the service in the individual cemetery, until such time
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as an extension or new site can be developed. If this proves not to be a practicable or viable option, the restrictions preserve the service at local level for as long as burial space remains within the cemetery. The subsequent calculations of average annual lair sales and space remaining will produce a new figure higher than 10 years – which is the object of the exercise. This would not be a reason, however, to remove the restriction on pre-sale, as this would likely lead to an acceleration in the following period, prior to any extension or new development being available. Sorobay (Tiree) 2024 calculation – added to list of restricted sales - 7.6 years remaining. Once any suitable sized developments are available, the restriction on pre-sale will be reconsidered. Note 2 - Additional sites marked # where local arrangements are in place. Local arrangements, mainly Lomond, Lorn and Mull, are in place where there were pressures on lair space, due to the popularity of some locations. In such cases, including where conditions were part of any “gifted land” from landowners, this has resulted in specific restrictions, such as sale to local residents/parish members only. Officers have also foreseen the end of any further development at some sites and the restriction on pre-sale has been implemented, even after recent cemetery developments, due to the limited timescales these improvements will provide. Carrick cemetery - added to list 2024 – no scope to expand - remaining space set aside for the access road to a potential extension , now released for sale as lairs. As above these restrictions are in place to preserve the burial service at local level for as long as practicable, within the variations in annual lair sales. Note 3 - Previous report “10 years” sites No sites previously intimated as subject to the less than 10 years category have been removed from the list, at this time. Two sites added due to 2024 calculations As noted, Tobermory (Beadoun) cemetery was a restricted development only able to provide a further 210 lair spaces, so the no-presale restriction remains in place, given the previous average rate of lair sales and no option for further expansion at this site.