Every parishioner, together with those whose names are entered on the electoral roll, and those dying within the parish, has a right to burial in the graveyard of the parish, provided room permits. In accordance with the PCC, the incumbent or priest-in-charge may grant or withhold permission for any other person to be buried in the churchyard. All burials must be recorded in a register.
The location and position of the burial plot is decided by the incumbent or priest-in-charge. Care should be taken to consider the practical use of the churchyard and buildings. For example, since access to the perimeter of the church building will often be required for routine maintenance and inspection or for the erection of scaffolding, interments ought not to be allowed within 3 metres of any external wall.
Even if a churchyard is closed to further burials, the interment of ashes may still be permitted.
Reservation of Burial Plots
In some cases it is possible for an individual to reserve a burial plot for themselves or their family members. This is subject to considerations of the potential future availability of space and any other relevant matters as determined by the Chancellor (see Chancellor & Consistory Court).
The reservation of burial plots requires a faculty application. However, rather than a full faculty application through the DAC, a petition is lodged directly with the Registry. If faculty is granted, it will usually include the condition that a contribution of £150 is made by the petitioner to the PCC to assist in funding the ongoing maintenance of the churchyard. Exceptions can be made in which this condition might be waived, for example by PCC request or in individual cases of genuine financial hardship.
It is vital that you keep an accurate and up-to-date plan of the churchyard so that reserved or unreserved plots can be identified and so that the remaining space in the churchyard can be accurately assessed.
The ownership of burial plots once they have been reserved remains with the parish priest and does not transfer to the deceased or their heirs-at-law. It is usual to limit the period of time for which a grave space should be reserved (generally 75 years) subject to the holder having the right to apply for an extension.
Interments of Ashes
Cremated remains may be buried anywhere in the churchyard as the incumbent or priest-in-charge permits. A specific area within a churchyard may be set aside for the burial of ashes, provided a permission has been obtained (see Permissions). Each parish will need to draft their own regulations for using their garden of remembrance. Individual practices may vary, but all regulations should include provision for re-use after a period of roughly 25 or 50 years.
Ashes should be treated with reverence as a whole and cannot be divided for burial in different places or scattered over the churchyard. Ashes should be poured from their container into the soil.
The utilitarian use of individual memorials to mark interments of ashes is discouraged. Alternative commemorations such as recording names in a book of remembrance can be more appropriate.