Latest on new cemeteries for South Tyneside as Victorian sites reach full capacity

The borough’s cemetery provision was brought into focus during a recent meeting of the local authority’s Our Place Scrutiny Committee (September 25, 2025), where it was confirmed that Jarrow Cemetery was reaching “full capacity.”

Councillors were told that the cemetery had around 20 years of provision remaining and that future options were already being explored for South Tyneside, including the potential expansion of Jarrow Cemetery or potentially developing new cemetery provision.

Lynne Henderson, the council’s bereavement services manager, speaking at the September meeting, told councillors discussions were already under way, with several options being explored by the local authority.

“All of our cemeteries are Victorian cemeteries and they are starting to reach full capacity now, Jarrow has the least time left and we think we have got about 20 years worth of new graves in Jarrow,” she said.

“We have already started conversations about is there scope to extend our existing cemeteries, is there land to actually extend the cemeteries, if not, is there land available to open new cemeteries.

“There’s a lot of work to be done on that but that is under way now.”

Councillor Shane Smith, speaking at the scrutiny meeting, asked the council officer about the timescales involved around identifying and planning potential new cemetery sites.

Council officer Lynne Henderson, responding, confirmed the process had already started and that there had already been site meetings around Jarrow Cemetery about its potential expansion, with a focus on the “boundary wall between the cemetery and the A19”.

While it was noted that “in theory, the boundary wall could be pushed back” to facilitate such an expansion, with “quite a drop on the other side of the wall down towards the A19”, the council officer said that “it is not an ideal site in my personal opinion”.

“It’s pushing the cemetery closer to the A19 which is a busy noisy road and for me, cemeteries should be quiet places for reflection, but we don’t have a lot of land to play with,” she added.

“So if that becomes what we decide to do, what we would actually have to do is raise the ground level quite significantly so we would have to find and shift some earth in from somewhere else, whether we buy it in and there’s a site somewhere in the borough where excavations are going on and we can use that earth there.

“Even if that happened and we build the land up we have then got to let that land have time to settle before we then start using it and we think that settlement period would be between five and six years as a minimum.

“So you can see it’s something we really need to be thinking about now.

“There are contractors out there who will design cemeteries for you and test the soil quality, there’s lots of legislation about opening or extending cemeteries that you have to consider, such as protecting ground water.

“In terms of Jarrow there’s a potential to extend although it wouldn’t necessarily be my first choice.”

The council officer also said the council had “started to look at alternative sites” and while Jarrow Cemetery was a “priority” for action, all of the borough’s cemeteries needed to be considered as part of future decision-making.

In this context, it was noted that the council had considered creating new cemetery provision in the “east and west of the borough” but Lynne Henderson acknowledged this would be “quite controversial”.

“If all your family were buried in Jarrow and then we’re saying sorry Jarrow Cemetery is full but we have got a new cemetery here [elsewhere in the borough] that could potentially be quite upsetting for people,” she added.

“So we have got a lot to think about and it’s a big big undertaking, we have got 20 years but we have already started discussions.”

Councillor Ernest Gibson, cabinet member for neighbourhoods and climate change, in a statement in December, 2025, said any future decisions on cemetery provision would be based on “detailed feasibility studies and consultation”.

“We understand how important it is to plan ahead to ensure there is sufficient burial space for our residents,” Cllr Gibson added.

“Jarrow Cemetery is nearing capacity, and while we anticipate around 20 years of provision remaining, we are already looking at future options.

“This early work includes exploring whether existing sites can be extended or whether a new cemetery will be required within the borough.

“Any decisions will be based on detailed feasibility studies and consultation, taking into account land availability, environmental considerations, and the need to maintain a respectful and peaceful setting.

“No decisions have been made at this stage, but we are committed to keeping our communities informed as plans progress.”