On Friday 23rd October, Birmingham City Council announced that it will run out of graves at one of its cemeteries in the aftermath of Coronavirus.
According to the local authority only 15 Muslim graves were available at the Handsworth Cemetery and fewer than 70 for other religions, when the article was written. It is anticipated that the cemetery will be full to the Muslim community within a fortnight and to other communities within the next two to three months.
Cllr Sharon Thompson, cabinet member for homes and neighbourhoods said, “The impact of Covid-19 has meant that burial space at Handsworth Cemetery has been used at a faster rate than we would have previously anticipated.
“However, we’ve planned for the time the cemetery at Handsworth would reach its capacity. The investment at Sutton New Hall is significant and will provide sufficient burial land in Birmingham for the next 18 years for those communities who wish to be buried in that part of the city. It has been designed to meet the needs of all communities that wish to be buried at Sutton New Hall Cemetery and can accommodate people from all faiths, as well as different types of graves to meet customers’ wishes.”
