**Merthyr Tydfil’s Cemeteries: Is There Enough Space for Future Burials?**
The question of how much burial space remains in Merthyr Tydfil’s cemeteries has been brought into focus following a detailed report to the local council. With growing concerns in many regions about cemetery capacity, Merthyr Tydfil Council has undertaken an in-depth review to assess the situation across the county borough’s five main cemeteries. The findings provide both reassurance and note of caution for residents and families within the area.
At the heart of the report, presented to the neighbourhood services, countryside and planning scrutiny committee, are the latest figures on burials and capacity. For the year 2024-25, Merthyr Tydfil’s bereavement services recorded 160 burials and 134 interments of ashes. In an effort to manage the pressure on available space, the council has implemented a burial policy permitting the re-use of certain existing graves – specifically, those that are over 70 years old, unpurchased, bearing no memorial, and containing just one previous burial.
Based on this approach, and with the addition of new grave spaces at Graig Fargoed in Bedlinog, council officers believe that there is currently sufficient provision for new burials throughout the county borough. However, they caution that not all plots measured as technically available may in reality prove practical for future interments. Personal preference often means families are reluctant to use shared or reused graves, and in other cases, grave excavation may be complicated by ground conditions or logistical issues.
A breakdown of the five cemeteries’ capacity offers a clearer picture. Cefn Coed Cemetery leads, with approximately 3,944 available plots, which – given the current average annual demand of 24 burials – could accommodate the community for the next 164 years. Aberfan Cemetery, perhaps surprisingly, has 949 remaining plots, which, due to comparatively low demand, could last around 316 years. Beech Grove in Edwardsville accounts for 433 plots, expected to meet needs for roughly 62 more years.
Pant Cemetery, another principal burial ground, has 1,189 spaces left – a figure thought to last around 50 years, provided burial rates remain steady. Graig Fargoed Cemetery is the only site marked as potentially requiring attention sooner rather than later, with only 115 plots left: a capacity estimated at just 14 years.
The report further notes that Pant Cemetery includes a new garden of remembrance. To date, it has seen 20 burials of cremated remains, with a further 199 plots available. At current rates, this provision should suffice for roughly a decade. While ashes interments demand less physical space, the council continues to monitor trends as preferences shift slowly towards cremation.
Councillors have also made plans to extend capacity by purchasing additional land. Recently, the authority acquired a field adjacent to Pontycapel Cemetery in the Ffrwd section of Cefn Coed. Preparatory work is underway, including laying concrete plinths for memorial placement, which has covered about half of the space. The area is being treated for weeds and, once suitable, will be open for burials. Upon full completion and further investment, this new extension could provide as many as 734 additional burial plots.
Negotiations are also ongoing with the owners of Bryniau Field, which is situated near Pant Cemetery. The hope is that this purchase will be finalised within the current financial year, offering yet more scope for expansion in the near future.
Despite the reassuring headline figures, a note of caution remains: not all land earmarked as suitable for expansion is immediately ready for use. Further works – including to entrance infrastructure and the possible creation of children’s burial and gardens of rest – are pending and will require additional funding.
As the council moves forward with its plans, the balance between tradition, space, and changing cultural practices remains a live issue. Residents of Merthyr Tydfil can be assured that their council is actively planning for the future – but, as elsewhere in the UK, the discussion around burial space is ongoing and evolving.