Legislation introduced in 2005 meant the 'new section' of Monmouth Cemetery became unusable for burials due to the close proximity of a water course and the 200 spaces available were only suitable for cremations.

The present site at Osbaston had running costs of £350,000 and an income of £96,000 in 2010.

Cremations that year totalled 14, slightly above the average over the past few years.

A public meeting held in the Shire Hall last Tuesday (23rd August) attended by council officers and the cabinet member with responsibility for cemeteries, Giles Howard, heard how testing at Meend Farm in Penallt, on three different sites, had proved positive on one site and that second stage testing was the next step.

Officers stressed that although Monmouthshire County Council (MCC) was under no obligation to provide cemetery spaces, they were "committed to providing a new cemetery" and the land at Meend Farm was proving ideal given the criteria laid down in the 2005 legislation.

Any site had to be seven to 10 acres, with good road access and on a bus route.

The site had to be reasonably flat and not within a flood plain. It could not be covered by mature trees and not on 'made up' ground and, critically, not within 50m of a watercourse.

These criteria meant a great deal of land around Monmouth would not be suitable, and exhaustive research had come up with no suitable sites, including Vauxhall Fields, in close proximity to the town.

For full story see Beacon 31/08/11.