Progress is being made to establish a Garden of Remembrance on Fairfield that will allow residents to scatter or bury the ashes of loved one and sit and reflect.
The Council has been discussing with Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC) for some time, a location adjacent to the current Three Counties Asylum graveyard that will extend further down and into West Drive. Negotiations have now reached a point where CBC has invited us to submit a detailed planning application for the site.
In 2019 we conducted a consultation of residents to see their wishes as to the provision of facilities. When the village was part of Stotfold residents were allowed to use their facilities. However, this right was lost when we became a village in our own right meaning that interment fees are three times normal in Stotfold and 4 times normal in Letchworth.
Of the four options given in the consultation the majority opted for a Garden of Reflection and incorporating a facility to inter ashes at a later stage. However, due to the delay in negotiating with CBC over the land, which is down to Covid and the various lockdowns, we have decided to proceed with a Garden of Remembrance.
We have contracted The CDS Group to lead on the plans. They are a UK specialist company in Cemetery provision and are based in Silsoe.
Accompanying the plans, we have to provide several reports detailing the topography of the area, an arborists report on the trees as well as a detailed hard and soft landscaping plan with a schedule.
It is likely, therefore that it will be some months before we are able to proceed with submitting the plans.
Last modified: June 29, 2022