Order in Council - Discontinuing Burials in Certain Churchyards [2018-02-08]

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At the Court at Buckingham Palace

THE 8th DAY OF FEBRUARY 2018

PRESENT,

THE QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY
IN COUNCIL

Representations were duly made to Her Majesty in Council by the Secretary of State for Justice that, subject to the exceptions below, burials should be discontinued forthwith in:-

1) Holy Trinity Churchyard, East Hyde, Bedfordshire (as shown hatched on the plan annexed hereto);

2) St Lawrence’s Churchyard, Waltham St Lawrence, Reading, Berkshire (as shown hatched on the plan annexed hereto);

3) St Luke’s Churchyard, Tiptree, Colchester, Essex (as shown hatched on the plan annexed hereto);

4) Christ Church Churchyard, Higher Bebington, Wirral, Merseyside (as shown hatched on the plan annexed hereto);

5) St Mary Magdalene Churchyard, Ecton, Northampton, Northamptonshire (as shown hatched on the plan annexed hereto);

6) St Mary The Blessed Virgin Lower Churchyard, Swainswick, Bath, Somerset (as shown hatched on the plan annexed hereto).

In pursuance of the Orders in Council made on 15th November 2017 and 13th December 2017 these representations have been published and taken into consideration by a Committee of the Privy Council.

Accordingly, Her Majesty, in exercise of the powers conferred on Her by section 1 of the Burial Act 1853, is pleased, by and with the advice of Her Privy Council, to order that burials shall be discontinued forthwith in the places listed above, subject to the following exceptions:-

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(a) in the places numbered 3, 4 and 5 above, in any vault or walled grave in the churchyard, burial may be allowed but every coffin in such vault or grave must be separately enclosed by stonework or brick work properly cemented;

(b) in all places numbered above, in any existing earthen grave in the churchyard, the burial may be allowed of the body of any member of the family of the person or persons previously buried in that grave, but no part of the coffin containing the body shall be less than one metre below the level of the surface of the ground adjoining the grave; and

(c) in the places numbered 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 above, in any grave space in which no interment has previously taken place, the burial may be allowed of any person for whom, or any member of the family for which that grave space has been reserved and appropriated, with the exclusive right of burial there, but no part of the coffin containing the body shall be less than one metre below the level of the surface of the ground adjoining the grave.

Richard Tilbrook