A cemetery dedicated for use by the Islamic community could be built in Cornwall. Gardens of Mercy (GoM), a newly-registered charity, has said it is in the process of submitting a planning application to Cornwall Council for a natural burial ground for Muslims in Devon and Cornwall.
The charity said it will be requesting ‘change of use’ planning permission on the land it owns on the north side of South Hill Road near Callington. It also has plans to use at least 75 per cent of the site to increase biodiversity, including a wood-pasture and wildflower meadow.
A leaflet seen by CornwallLive said: “Gardens of Mercy is a registered charity aiming to provide a cemetery for Muslims requiring consecrated grounds for the burial of their deceased. This is an obligatory need for Muslims as only burial of the deceased is permitted. Cremation is not permitted.
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“As no cemetery providing burials on consecrated land exists nearby for Muslims in Devon and Cornwall, the nearest being in South Gloucestershire, the charity’s main objective is to address this need.”
The leaflet also states that sufficient space for car and hearse parking will be provided in the one-acre field, which is alongside South Hill Road.
No formal application for the burial ground has yet been submitted. However, a public consultation was held on June 11 at the Balti King Restaurant, where the charity invited members of the local community to attend to explain the project in more detail.
Currently, there are two burial sites in Cornwall that have Muslim allocated space. These are in Penzance Cemetery and St. Columb Major Cemetery.
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