A GROUP that gave Green Belt land to Oxford City Council as long as it was not developed has hit out at plans to use it for a cemetery.

Oxford Preservation Trust said it gave the land near Horspath in 1952 with a covenant against any development, in order to protect it for generations.

The council has announced it wants to develop a 20-acre cemetery at the site, between Horspath Athletic Ground and Shotover Hill, but would still need the trust’s permission to do so.

Now it is planning to ask developers for £600,000 in contributions towards the £1.6m cemetery.

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Council leader Bob Price claimed the trust did not object to the principle of using the land for a cemetery and only details needed to be agreed.

But trust director Debbie Dance said: “No, that’s not right.”

She said: “We would much rather not have a cemetery built on our land; we would like the city council to find another site. We want them to use the land as a country park for the benefit of the people of Oxford into the future.

“The council seems to be talking about the cemetery as if they have an agreement from us but they don’t.”

Oxford Mail:

  • Debbie Dance

She did not rule out allowing the land to be used for a cemetery, which the council said was needed as the city was running out of burial space.

But she added: “We care about Oxford and we said if they come up with a bit of land which doesn’t spoil the area or impact on the view we will think about it.”

Council officers surveyed potential sites in 2011 and said the Horspath land was the only suitable location.

Mrs Dance said the trust rejected the first site the council proposed, next to the athletic ground, because it would spoil views, adding: “We rejected that site, so they’ve looked at another site and that is as far as it got.”

Council spokesman Chofamba Sithole said: “We are continuing to undertake tests on the preferred site in Horspath.”

Under Government rules, cemeteries can be listed as a legitimate use of Green Belt land but Mr Price said the council still legally required the trust’s approval.

The council said last April that Wolvercote cemetery would be full within 18 months – October this year – and the only other cemetery with space, Botley, was expected to be full within three to four years.

Headington and Rose Hill cemeteries have been closed to burials since 2003 and 1995 respectively.

RUNNING OUT OF SPACE

  • Botley Cemetery has more than 1,100 spaces remaining, Wolvercote just over 300
  • Total burials to date:
  • Botley has 8,854 interments
  • Headington has 9,521 interments
  • Rose Hill has 20,873 interments
  • Wolvercote has 16,945 interments
  • Burials in financial year 2013/14:
  • Botley had 73 interments
  • Headington had 48 interments
  • Rose Hill had 43 interments
  • Wolvercote had 149 interments


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