Planning committee backs Highgate Cemetery conservation plan

Camden Council has resolved to grant planning consent for the Unlocking Highgate Cemetery conservation masterplan, marking a key step toward a wide programme of restoration and access improvements at the Grade I registered burial ground.

The decision, which was announced earlier this month, is subject to final planning conditions and a Section 106 agreement. It also strengthens the cemetery trust’s bid for National Lottery Heritage Fund support, which it says is essential for long-term conservation work.

The masterplan sets out repairs to fragile monuments, measures to restore the balance of wild and cultivated landscapes, and proposals to improve accessibility, biodiversity and flood resilience. The trust said the scheme would help sustain Highgate Cemetery as a place for “reflection, remembrance and learning”.

In September, the trust withdrew a proposed gardeners’ building from the application following local concerns. Camden Council then launched a statutory consultation on the revised plans ahead of the committee’s consideration. 

The trust has been updating grave owners, community groups and other stakeholders as it looks at alternative options for gardeners’ facilities.

If implemented, the plan would support essential conservation across the site while protecting its historic features and encouraging wider engagement through learning and volunteering programmes.

The trust said maintaining progress is critical to meeting National Lottery Heritage Fund deadlines and securing money for urgent repair work.