New Muslim cemetery planned to meet rising demand

A new Muslim cemetery is to be created in Bradford to meet growing demand for burial space.

Despite recent work to increase capacity at sites in Scholemoor and Bowling, the council said an additional area was needed to ensure there was enough space through to 2050.

A report said the south of the district currently required around 420 Muslim burials a year, with this due to rise to about 450 annually by the mid‑2030s.

At a meeting on Tuesday, the authority approved funding of £3.4m to identify and buy land for the site in addition to the £3.6m already set aside for the works.

The new cemetery forms part of the next phase of the council's overhaul of bereavement services, first announced in 2016, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

So far, the programme has delivered a new crematorium in Heaton to replace the ageing Nab Wood facility, along with upgrades to Oakworth Crematorium.

Work is also progressing on a new crematorium in Bierley, which will replace the current site at Scholemoor.

In addition, the existing Muslim burial area at Scholemoor has been expanded, and further cemetery space has been created at Bowling Cemetery.

The report stated it was "likely to take several years" until the new cemetery was operational because of the detailed work involved in such developments.

Council Leader Susan Hinchcliffe said: "When people come to this service it is the most tragic time in their lives, so we need to make sure it is the best possible service."

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