Closure of the churchyard for burials at St Mary's Parish Church in Haddenham reached another stage in the official process on Friday 22nd April, when the parish council received a notice from the Ministry of Justice.
The notice reads as follows:
Closure of Churchyard, St Mary the Virgin, Haddenham, Bucks
Notice is hereby given that it is the intention of the Secretary of State for Justice, acting on an application by the incumbent and churchwardens. to apply to the Privy Council for
an Order requiring the discontinuance of burials in the above churchyard.
Provision would be made for the exceptions:
a. 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
b. 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.
Any representations about the proposed closure should be sent to the Coroners and Burials Team, Ministry of Justice, 102 Petty France, London SWIH 9AJ (quoting reference OPR1075/323) within 21 days of this publication.
