Woodland burial site plans for Lough Money

Woodland burial site plans for Lough Money

18 January 2017

NORTHERN Ireland’s first woodland burial site may be developed at Lough Money outside Downpatrick.

Planning permission is being sought for the ecological burial ground in which trees and wildflowers would replace traditional headstones to create a memorial nature reserve.

Cardboard and wicker would be used instead of wooden coffins in the proposed green graveyard where plots would be identified through GPS technology.

Although a new concept for Northern Ireland, there are already 250 sites across the UK and one in Wexford.

It is hoped that the facility could open as early as next year, catering for 750 burials in its first phase, subject to planning approval.

A buffer of trees would be planted to provide a natural filtration unit to protect the nearby lough, while the use of embalming fluid would be forbidden for environmental reasons.

The scheme is being developed by the co-operative organisation Down to Earth, which attracted over 200 expressions of interest from the public during the launch of its first share offer almost two years ago.

The shares, which started at £800, were sought to fund the planning, site preparation and initial running costs for the burial ground.

Anglican Minister Reverend Peter Owen-Jones, who became a household face for his presentation of the popular BBC series, Around the World in 80 Faiths, attended the share launch in Downpatrick where he spoke of the increasing demand for this type of burial.

“There is no better legacy than being laid to rest in woodland created for the purpose,” he said.

“The whole concept is positive for the environment and future generations.”