Bishop’s Stortford Town Council is seeking sites suitable for burials to ensure that it can fully evaluate all options for the continued provision of a burial service to the residents for the future, and is inviting landowners who own and are prepared to sell suitable plots of land to come forward.

To be considered the land must

  • be at least 250 metres from any well, borehole or spring supplying water for human consumption or used in food production e.g. at farm dairies;
  • be at least 30 metres from any spring or watercourse not used for human consumption or not used in food production;
  • be at least 10 metres from any field drain, including dry ditches;
  • not be subject to flooding
  • within the civil parishes of Bishop’s Stortford, Thorley or Little Hadham
  • within 20 minutes walking distance of Bishop’s Stortford Town Centre or accessible by bus (bus stop within 250m of the site entrance) from Bishop’s Stortford Town Centre no less than 6 days a week with a service interval of no less than once per hour during the daytime
  • a minimum of 1.2 hectares in area
  • be directly accessible from the public highway
  • be available for purchase of the freehold

Should one or more suitable sites be identified the Town Council may consider purchasing the site or a part thereof for fair value.  The Town Council would regard any land used for burials as ‘amenity land’ and would be looking to negotiate a price commensurate with this use.  For the avoidance of doubt it would not be expecting to pay a price similar to that which might be expected for land suitable for housing development.

Anyone who wishes to put forward a site in response to this call is requested to do so no later than 24th September 2021 accompanied with the following information:

  • Name and contact details of freehold owner
  • Site plan, area and location
  • Agent contact details (if appropriate)
  • Price guide

Information should be sent by email to the Chief Executive Officer – james.parker@bishopsstortfordtc.gov.uk

Should any landowner or agent wish to discuss this matter they are invited to call the Chief Executive Officer directly on 01279 712147.

This call does not indicate any commitment on the part of the Town Council to purchase land for the purpose identified; the acquisition of additional land is just one of the options that the Town Council is considering to ensure that it can continue to offer burials to its residents.