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Portsmouth City Council has announced an investment in a series of improvements across Milton, Kingston and Highland Road cemeteries to upgrade facilities and protect heritage buildings.
The project will be funded by extra income generated by the local authority’s cemeteries team, with the aim to reinvest funds into public spaces and biodiversity.
At Milton Cemetery, the council is redecorating public toilets and installing new fixtures. Work across all three sites includes laying safer paths and installing new benches.
The investment also targets the restoration of historic chapels. Essential repairs are being made to the West Chapel at Kingston Cemetery to make the Grade II-listed building watertight.
The work follows repairs completed at the Dissenter’s Chapel at Highland Road Cemetery last year. A scoring system was used to prioritise these projects based on status, condition and potential impact.
Each site is rated from zero to 10 in these categories. The council focuses on projects with the highest total scores to ensure social, economic and environmental benefits.
Steve Pitt, leader of Portsmouth City Council, said: “I’d like to thank the cemeteries team for their hard work, which has allowed this additional work to be carried out. These important green spaces offer the opportunity to reflect, to remember and provide habitats for the city’s wildlife.
“The city has a duty to its heritage, one that the council takes seriously. Our heritage strategy builds on recent projects including the redevelopment of the D-Day Story, the arrival of LCT 7074, the renovation of Victoria Park and the Hotwalls Studios project.”
