BURIALS could be available in Monmouth again if county councillors agree to hand over control of the cemetery to the town council.

Having been told by Monmouthshire County Council (MCC) almost a decade ago that there is no more space at the town cemetery for burials, town councillors have now identified an area within the plot which they believe is suitable for 143 graves.

Criticising Monmouthshire County Council and its officers for failing to follow up after a proposed site at Penallt proved unsuitable, Monmouth Town Council's (MTC) Environment Committee is now recommending that they should take over the administration of the cemetery and provide burial space for the next fifteen years.

Following a meeting with MCC officers, and the Friends of the Cemetery, they were told that following a confidential 2012 Capita Symonds report, MCC concluded there was no plan to excavate any further plots in the cemetery as it was claimed not to be cost effective. When asked, the authority confirmed it was due to budgetary reasons.

Councillors claimed that MCC spent around £80,000 over a five-year period on a feasibility study at the Penallt site, only to discover that it was not suitable for burials.

The October 2014 officer report on the search for a new site, which now lies with the MCC Strong Communities Committee, has not progressed the situation.

Frustrated by this, the environment committee has decided to consult with the people of Monmouth, and should they receive a positive response, they will recommend to full council that they should raise an extra £25,000 on their precept, incurring a slight increase in council tax, and ask MCC to allow them to continue with the administration of the cemetery.

One of the reasons they believe the Penallt site failed was that today's rules and regulations are very strict in opening new cemetery sites. These regulations do not apply to existing sites and town councillors believe this is the way forward.