23 Sep 2025
Major improvements to the district’s three cemeteries at Hatfield Road, Westfield Road and London Road are moving forwards as part of a £730K programme.
Cemeteries superintendent Kate Mercer told SADC’s public realm committee that a new garden of rest will be installed in Westfield Road Cemetery in Harpenden, including the renovation of the current memorial wall and an area for the scattering of ashes.
Discussions are also underway with the same contractors to design and build a new garden of rest in London Road, although the drainage for this section will require designing and installation before any work can take place.
Soil surveys are also taking place ahead of designs for a new Muslim section at London Road, and the green meadow burial area at Hatfield Road has been brought back to a level in line with the original management plan.
Work on a woodland walk and ashes scattering area at Hatfield Road adjacent to the Alban Way begins in November.
An application to the Diocese of St Albans is being drafted to determine the possibility of reusing historic sections in the Hatfield Road Cemetery for future burials, with the creation of a digital database for those wanting to find details of the original burials.
The chapel at Hatfield Road – which has never been consecrated – may be opened up for appropriate community use in the future, including art exhibitions, bereavement groups and cemetery volunteers.
Committee chair Cllr Helen Campbell said: “This is all about making sure that this council can continue to provide a sustainable burial service that meets the needs of as many people in the community as necessary.”
