Falkirk Council eyes first long-term bereavement strategy

Falkirk Council has revealed that a discussion on its first bereavement strategy is being held at an executive meeting today (6 November), which will outline how burial and cremation services will be sustained over the next decade. 

The detailed 10-year plan sets out a range of options to expand capacity, manage costs and ensure burial and cremation services remain accessible to all. Without new provision, the area is projected to run out of new burial lairs within 13 years.

Council officers have identified pressures from rising costs and limited space across local cemeteries. Of the 29 council-owned cemeteries, only nine remain operational, with 20 at full capacity. Each year, around 860 burials and 1,600 cremations are carried out across the area.

To safeguard future provision, the strategy proposes extensions to existing cemeteries and the creation of new sites where required. Planned works include a major expansion at Camelon and feasibility studies for new cemetery space at Bantaskine and Denny. Any developments would be designed to meet environmental and planning standards, with a focus on sustainability.

The strategy also encourages more environmentally friendly management practices, such as replacing hardstanding with grass and introducing selective rewilding in older cemeteries to support biodiversity and reduce carbon emissions.

Councillors will also consider introducing a new pricing structure to help fund maintenance and development work. Following a public consultation, nearly two-thirds of respondents supported moderate fee increases to sustain local provision. A recommended 12.5% rise in 2026/27 would help cover essential investment while keeping charges below the highest rates in Scotland.

The plan commits to continuing lower-cost funeral options, including direct cremations, and to maintaining separate burial areas for different faith groups.

Malcolm Bennie, director of place services at Falkirk Council, said: “This carefully considered strategy brings together long-term planning for a sensitive but essential service.

“It sets out how we can manage existing sites, plan for future needs, and continue to provide respectful, sustainable burial and cremation options for local people. It is now for the Executive to consider the proposals and decide what is the most appropriate future approach for bereavement services in the Falkirk Council area.”

If approved, progress on implementing the strategy will be reported to councillors in 2028.