Enfield Council has submitted plans for a new cemetery on Green Belt farmland close to the M25.

The “natural burial ground” would accommodate the needs of a variety of faith and non-faith groups and is proposed to be built at Sloemans Farm in Whitewebbs Road, just to the north of Whitewebbs Park.

The council submitted the ‘change of use’ planning application to allow the farm to be used as a cemetery and help tackle a looming shortage of burial sites across the borough.

Sloemans Farm, while still currently in use as a farm, has deteriorated in recent years with two fires in 2016 seeing the original farm buildings fall into “disrepair”, according to the council. There are also power lines, a footpath and an avenue of trees crossing the site.

The proposed burial ground would take up around half of the existing farm, extending to 23 hectares, with the other 24 hectares still used for farming and, potentially, woodland planting. Also proposed are 120 parking spaces and facilities.

Natural burial grounds are designed to have minimal impact on the environment and preserve existing wildlife and habitats, compared to traditional burial grounds.

Regarding the predicted shortage of burial sites, the council’s local plan states: “Enfield is, like many other London boroughs, facing a serious shortage of burial space – a situation which will exacerbate as the population increases and the lack of funeral space drives up costs.

“Enfield has among the highest burial requirements in London. Space is running out due to land shortages and rising burial demand. Enfield Crematorium, for instance, will be completely full before the end of this decade.”

The council commissioned a study in 2020 which found an “imminent pressing need” for additional burial capacity and predicted a deficit of almost 10,000 burial spaces by 2036 and 15,000 by 2041.

The proposed burial site at Sloemans Farm will provide approximately 38,000 burial spaces. A new access point would be created from Whitewebbs Road.

In a bid to foster inclusivity the building will not have any signage, labels, or visual indications that “advocate towards any particular faith or non-faith group” but will have elements which “may be required by one group, but not by another”.

More information on the plans can be found via Enfield Council’s planning portal, using reference number 24/02266/RE4.