More than half of London's local authorities will run out of burial space within 15 years, according to a City Hall audit that has prompted calls for the Mayor to take urgent action. The audit, released earlier this year, shows that 17 boroughs will have no burial space left by 2040, while three – Camden, Hackney, and Tower Hamlets – already have none.
London's aging population adds pressure
The crisis is exacerbated by London's aging population. Office for National Statistics (ONS) data predicts that the proportion of Londoners aged 65 and over will reach 40.9 per cent by 2040, increasing demand for burial space. The draft London Plan, the Mayor's spatial development strategy, suggests boroughs may need to use low-quality Green Belt land, known as 'grey belt', and design graves for reuse by making them double or triple the usual depth.
Liberal Democrat Assembly Member Hina Bokhari has personal experience of the struggle. Fifteen years ago, she wanted to bury her late father near their Merton home but found it difficult to secure a suitable space. She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): "There is a real crisis point now that if we don't face this issue now, there will be families at an increasing rate that are going to have the most devastating news of their loved one passing away, but then finding out that they can't actually bury their loved one where they live."
Boroughs rely on out-of-borough provision
The audit, titled 'Audit of London Burial Provision', warns that many boroughs, particularly in inner London, are nearing capacity or have none left. Nine of 25 boroughs that responded to the audit said they relied on out-of-borough provision "due to limited open space available for cemetery use". Bokhari is calling on the Mayor to use his convening powers to bring together boroughs, cemeteries, and faith communities to develop a strategic, London-wide approach.
"The audit has made that really clear that there needs to be a strategic London-wide approach," she said. "There needs to be a plan, but there needs to be action behind that plan. And I want the Mayor of London to lead on that action. He can use his convening powers to bring in the cemeteries, to bring in faith communities, to bring in boroughs, to work on the process of getting that plan, to have a concrete way forward, because if in 15 years' time, we end up with no space in 20 boroughs, then what?"
Draft London Plan encourages proactive planning
The draft London Plan includes a section on 'Burial Space', encouraging boroughs to "plan pro-actively for the expansion, re-use and long-term provision of burial space to meet future demand." Officials have advised local authorities to reuse graves over a century old, increase burial depth to accommodate multiple burials, and consider using "grey-belt and Green Belt sites", admitting they "will be needed in many cases".
Bokhari welcomes the recognition but insists the Green Belt should be a last resort. "I welcome the fact that he's recognised the issue," she said. "I welcome the fact that there is an idea put forward. I think the Green Belt solution is something way down the list, though. Before that, there are opportunities for local boroughs to look at their own land, look at the surrounding areas of their cemeteries that they currently have, and look at the potential of using their current lands that cannot be built, you know, for housing, for cemeteries. Do that first before you even start thinking about the Green Belt."
Legislation proposed in House of Lords
In the House of Lords, Liberal Democrat peers have introduced a bill requiring councils to plan ahead and track capacity before it runs out. Currently, local authorities have the power to provide and maintain cemeteries but are not legally required to provide burial space. If passed, the legislation would mandate the inclusion of guaranteed burial ground space within local development plans.
Bokhari stressed that the issue cannot be ignored, drawing parallels to the social care crisis. "Sometimes when it comes to these kind of issues, you know, people don't talk about it until it starts to impact you," she said. "It's the same way that other issues have become, only now starting to be highlighted, like social care, for example. For a long, long time social care wasn't talked about, it wasn't discussed - It's a difficult subject area. But now people are starting to talk about it, because it is impacting too many people now. This is gonna be the same. At some point, it's going to be so prevalent that you cannot ignore it. So it's important that we talk about it now."
Mayor's office responds
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London told the LDRS: "The draft London Plan makes clear that boroughs should plan pro-actively and collaboratively for the expansion, reuse, and long-term provision of burial space. In doing this, it’s important that they recognise cultural and faith needs. Councils should also refer to the Audit of London Burial Provision, which provides evidence to support boroughs in developing local policies and planning for future burial provision, as part of their Local Plans."
