By Abigail Marlow, Local Democracy Reporting Service
Published 8 hours ago
Councillors have warned that the shortage of burial plots for Muslims in Dewsbury has been building for years, with the cemetery now reported to be down to its final available space.
Despite these concerns, Kirklees Council has denied that burial capacity is at risk of running out, stressing that funds have been set aside to expand provision across North Kirklees.
According to a local funeral service, Dewsbury Cemetery reached its last remaining plot for Muslim burials over the weekend. Community Alliance councillor Ammar Anwar described the situation as “nothing short of a scandal,” after Council Leader Carole Pattison admitted last week that only “one or two” plots remained.
The issue was raised during a council meeting by councillor Cathy Scott, who questioned where families would be expected to bury their loved ones.
Pattison responded:
“There is sufficient burial space in North Kirklees. It is true that Muslim space in Dewsbury Cemetery is running out, but there is £500,000 ringfenced to establish more burial spaces. Some of that has already been used to extend plots, but the majority remains available.”
She added that negotiations are ongoing with private owners of burial grounds in Dewsbury, which should soon provide additional capacity. Longer-term plans are also being developed to ensure sustainable provision.
Pattison emphasized that rumours of a complete lack of burial space were unfounded:
“It is not true to say there are no spaces for burials in North Kirklees for Muslims or for anybody else of any or no faith.”
The council maintains that while Dewsbury Cemetery is critically short, North Kirklees as a whole still has capacity, and efforts are underway to secure more dedicated plots for Muslim burials.
