Plans to extend Knowsley Cemetery to provide burial spaces for Knowsley residents for the next 100 years have been approved by Cabinet.
The extension to Knowsley Cemetery at Foxes Bank Lane, Whiston, will be made possible by the purchase of the nearby 20-hectare Whiston Woods site from the Forestry Commission and securing planning permission from St Helen’s Council.
Members heard that following initial negotiations with the Forestry Commission, the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs has agreed to the sale, but the transaction would only complete if planning permission was first achieved for a cemetery, and a restrictive covenant is placed on the land outlining that it could only be used as a cemetery space and woodland.
In addition to creating the new cemetery offer, works will also be undertaken to improve public access to the site, such as upgrading existing pathways, creating new routes, improving the landscaping and making the site more accessible and attractive to users.