Thame people dying off faster than anticipated!

THAME is rapidly running out of space in St Mary’s churchyard to bury its dead, because the rate of the townsfolk dying off has exceeded what was anticipated.

So said the Town Clerk, Helen Stewart, at a meeting of Thame Town Council on Tuesday, March 16, 2010.

Because of the probable future growth of Thame, with the possible addition of 850 more houses between now and 2026, Thame Town Council, which has a statutory responsibility to provide burial space, has agreed to carryout an investigation, including ground water levels, to see if the land at Priest End would be suitable. If utilities are found in the area, it will be impossible to proceed.

The 13,000 square metre area of land is currently used for allotments and if Change of Use planning permission is granted, it would provide 200 burial spaces.

What happens when they are filled, the town council admits, could be problematic.

PHOTO: Courtesy of Sacred Places, flickr