New cemetery earmarked for site just outside Larne

If the proposal is given the go-ahead by the local authority’s Planning Committee, the graveyard will be located on the right side of the road towards Ballygally.

Previously, the council had been considering locating a new cemetery at Brustin Brae Road.

The plan was shelved in 2015 after a number of issues were investigated following a groundwater survey at the proposed location.

At the time, councillors were told that there was a “pressing need” for new burial space in Larne, as existing grave capacity was becoming limited and although land had been identified within the town’s existing Greenland Cemetery, it was only expected to allow sufficient space for burials up to the end of 2018.

When the Brustin Brae site was first proposed in 2008, residents had concerns regarding poor roads infrastructure, parking, public safety, litter, pollution and privacy. They signed a petition of objection which was presented to the legacy Larne Borough Council.

Mid and East Antrim Council has stated that the new out of town location, if approved, would provide a “lifespan” of 60 to 80 years.

It would accommodate between 4,000 and 6,000 plots.

The council declined to reveal the cost of the land purchase saying that it was “commercially sensitive”.

The local authority is currently seeking tenders for a design team for the new cemetery.

Meanwhile, a new 100-acre parcel of land is being considered by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council for a new cemetery at Trooperslane Road outside Carrickfergus.