Wooler councillors fear time is running out for decision on new burial ground

The fears were raised by members of Wooler Parish Council who have been pressing for land at the former first school site to be allocated for a new cemetery.

They claim the existing burial ground next to the former school, off Burnhouse Road, will be full in two years.

Cllr Mark Mather, parish council chairman, said: “Considering we are in a pandemic, that two years could be one year and it’s going to take roughly two years to consecrate the land.

"If we only have two years of burial space left we need a decision now. It’s not a five minute process to find an alternative site.

"The school has been empty for several years now and throughout all that time a burial ground has been part of the discussions (on what its future will be).”

He said that he and Cllr Anthony Murray, local county councillor, had discussed the matter with a member of Northumberland County Council’s estates team who indicated that a decision was still to be taken by the authority’s housing department.

Elsewhere, the parish council has made arrangements for a 4x4 vehicle to be made available to ensure medication deliveries can continue between Powburn and the Scottish border if there is bad weather this winter.

The parish council has also agreed to buy Christmas cards containing a message of support for vulnerable residents and details of how it can help if needed.

Thanks were given to everyone who had helped with planting 6,000 bulbs on the riverside.

The parish council is to request bollards to prevent vehicular access to Scott’s Park after a recent incident of a motorcycle causing problems, while a warning has been issued that dogs could be banned from Bryson’s Park if fouling problems persist.

A letter expressing concern about the state of the access road to the community allotments has also been sent.

Meanwhile, a warning about email scams was issued by Cllr Mather who revealed that Wooler and other parish councils had been targeted by fake emails purporting to be from the chairman.

"They are not from my address but they are very believable,” he said.

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