Saturday 24 March 2018

NEW RISHTON CEMETERY UNVEILED

 
A tree planting ceremony to dedicate a new cemetery on Lee Lane to Rishton & Great Harwood residents took place today.

Construction work at the new cemetery, which will for the first time offer a natural burial option, is almost complete. Council Leader, Cllr Miles Parkinson, dedicated the new cemetery to the people of Rishton & Great Harwood on Monday 19th March, when he planted a flowering cherry tree there.

Speaking at the dedication ceremony, Cllr Parkinson said; “I’m extremely pleased to dedicate this new cemetery to the people of Rishton and Great Harwood. It’s fitting that we plant a tree here today, as, for the first time in the Borough; we can now offer a natural burial option, an environmentally friendly alternative, which will also create a woodland and habitat in this countryside location.”

Cllr Parkinson added; “This new cemetery has been built to provide residents of Rishton and Great Harwood with burial space for the next hundred years, as the old cemetery is almost full. It will provide areas for coffin burials for all denominations, as well as areas for ashes burials and the new natural burial option.”

Cllr Parkinson also thanked a team of local volunteers who are building a new Pennine style dry stone wall at the cemetery, saying; “Thank you to the volunteers who are making this excellent heritage feature for the future of the cemetery. I’m delighted that this has been achieved by the efforts of local people. ”

Seven volunteers have worked every week on the wall since the end of November, guided by walling tutor Alan Rhodes.

Cllr Ken Moss, Cabinet Member for Parks & Cemeteries, added; “the opening of this new cemetery means that future generations of residents from Rishton and Great Harwood can continue to be buried in their local cemetery. This is something the Council was happy to invest in and having a natural burial option offers something previously not available."

For more information about the new cemetery, contact the cemetery office on 01254 232933 or email cemeteries@hyndburnbc.gov.uk.

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