A BURIAL ground owner has said she could save Kirklees Council millions of pounds, after it claimed it was in the midst of a crisis.

The council last week announced plans to spend up to £2m to create a new cemetery at Farnley Hey.

The controversial Hey Lane development, on a Green Belt site beneath Castle Hill, was supported after councillors were told south Kirklees was suffering a burial crisis. It claimed there was space left for only another four to six months for Muslim burials and nine months for other burials.

But protestors, including Newsome councillor Andrew Cooper, said it was in an inappropriate location.

Now Susan Brook, of Rose Hill Natural Burial Ground, Birkby, says she could solve everybody’s problems but has been ignored by councillors.

Mrs Brook said there was 20 years’ worth of burial space at her Birkby Hall Road site, which could save taxpayers as much as £5m.

Mrs Brook, who has run the facility with her husband Michael for more than five years, said: “Kirklees Council try to pretend we don’t exist.

“We had a customer recently that had phoned Kirklees’ bereavement services and asked if there was any natural burial grounds in the area and was told to go to Sheffield.

“I can’t understand them wanting to develop all around Castle Hill which is a wonderful monument, and spoil that view, when they need spend no money at all.

“We could provide 5,000 spaces at no cost to the taxpayer at all.”

The natural burial ground, off Birkby Hall Road, accepts only biodegradable coffins made of natural softwoods such as cane or bamboo. Headstones are made of slate and are laid horizontally.

Mrs Brook said many people were concerned about the permanency of the site but said there was no risk of it ever being developed on.

And she said cost wise she didn’t think they were much more expensive than the council-run ones.

Kirklees Council charges £720 for a standard grave in a cemetery, with a 10-year maintenance charge of £570. The Rose Hill charge for a grave with no maintenance charges is £1,280.

A cremation in Kirklees costs from £520.

Mrs Brook added: “Legally this location can never be dug up for anything else.

“There are rules governing cemeteries and a natural cemetery is no different.

“Cost wise it’s hard to compare. Kirklees are very complex and charge you for all sorts of things.

“We just have one price.”

Kirklees bereavements chief, Clr Mary Harkin, said it was her understanding that natural burials would not be accepted by all groups of society.

And she said she had been told they were more costly than council run ones.

She added: “We could tell people there’s a choice at Rosehill but we couldn’t force them to go there.”