Sheffield Council Urged to Address Cemetery Space Shortage

A petition, supported by 7,000 individuals, has called on Sheffield City Council to rectify “a dire situation” concerning the scarcity of burial plots in the city’s cemeteries. Campaigner Mahmood Hussain launched the petition on behalf of the South Yorkshire Muslim Bereavement Trust. It calls for immediate action to provide “affordable and appropriate new burial space/provision in Sheffield, for all communities, and particularly for the Muslim community, within the next 24 months”. Sheffield City Council stated it would debate the issue during a meeting on 4 December. The petition asserts that the council leadership had been aware of the shortage of spaces for almost two years and that “at the then-current rate of usage, only five years of supply remained within the city”. It adds: “There are still no actual concrete plans in place from Sheffield City Council to develop any appropriate burial sites to alleviate this long-standing and pressing issue.” In total, the city has 16 council-run cemeteries. Muslim areas are located in Shiregreen, City Road, and Abbey Lane cemeteries. The Local Democracy Reporting Service reported that the council initiated a review of burial sites in January, at which time it was estimated that only enough burial spaces remained to last for the next five years. Tinsley Park Cemetery has already closed to new burials. The petition is endorsed by the Council of Mosques South Yorkshire, United Mosques Council of Sheffield, Federation of Mosques Sheffield, and the South Yorkshire Muslim Bereavement Trust. The issue is of particular concern as Muslims bury their dead, and burials must take place as soon as possible. Campaigners have also voiced concerns about problems with the flooding of Muslim graves at Shiregreen Cemetery.