Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge town councillors have approved the first stage of work to potentially expand the town’s Brent Road Cemetery.
At this week’s meeting of the Town Council’s Assets & Amenities Committee, members heard that based on current usage and remaining space, the site is expected to reach full capacity within the next two to three years.
Councillors were given an update on the projected remaining burial capacity and asked to consider quotations for the technical assessments required before any extension can be planned.
These assessments form part of a staged process set out by the Environment Agency to ensure any new burial land is environmentally safe and compliant.
This week’s meeting heard that the work will begin with a Tier 1 Preliminary Risk Assessment, which includes trial pits to check groundwater depth, soil permeability tests, utility searches, and reviews of nearby watercourses and historic land use.
If the land is deemed potentially suitable, a Tier 2 Intrusive Site Investigation will follow, involving boreholes, soil sampling and groundwater testing. Due to the high‑risk nature of the area, both tiers are required before any extension can be considered.
Three quotations were reviewed for the work, and councillors unanimously approved the lowest bid, totalling £5,315, to allow the assessments to begin.
The findings will help determine whether an extension is viable before the project moves to any planning or design stage.
