Burial on Private Land
In England and Wales, it is possible to arrange to have a burial on private land, (farmland, garden). This may really appeal in terms of having a very personal funeral, or if the land holds special meaning. It can also play a part in reducing funeral costs, and yet this needs to be balanced with such considerations as long term access ie if sold (new owners may apply for permission to exhume a grave), possible impact on the value of the property and impact on the land.
These are not fully comprehensive guidelines and are intended as general helpful information only, but I have outlined some basics. Please get in touch with your council for further details or clarification as it may vary from area to area, I have put local links below.
- the death must legally be registered and a Certificate of Authority for Burial must be obtained (at the office of Registrar for Births & Deaths, within 5 days unless a referral to the coroner has been made). Within 96 hours of the burial, the slip at the bottom of the form must be filled out and returned to the Registrar for Births and Deaths.
- you must have consent from the owner of the freehold of the land (and they should check re: restrictive covenants preventing burial)
- the land owner must keep a burial register to be passed on to future owners (including a plan showing the grave’s location)
- planning consent is not required unless there are more than a couple of graves (this may require a change of use of the land and permission would need to be obtained from the authority)
- ensure that water supplies are not affected, (the ground must not be water logged, and there are specified distances; my understanding is 100m from boreholes , wells and springs, 10m from drains, ditches, watercourses, etc. Check with The Environment Agency (tel 08708 506506) or Natural Resources Wales (tel 0300 065 3000)
- burial must be 3ft below the ground (from coffin top to soil surface)
Useful links
Pembrokeshire County Council
https://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/deaths/home-private-burials
Ceridigion County Council
https://www.ceredigion.gov.uk/resident/housing/homeowner-zone/burial-on-private-land/
Swansea Council
https://www.swansea.gov.uk/article/4074/Burials-on-private-land
Carmarthenshire County Council
link to a pdf with information –Carmarthenshire County Council Private Burial Info
The Natural Death Centre
is a charity which has lots of information and helpful independent funeral advice for the public.