COMPULSORY land purchases are being considered by Blaenau Gwent council to provide increased burial spaces at cemeteries in the borough.

A council report, seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, warns that four of the borough’s cemeteries currently have burial capacity of less than 10 years.

In one cemetery, there are just 70 grave spaces available, with this expected to run out in less than three years.

The report warns that, if the council does not take action, burial capacity for new graves in the Tredegar area will be depleted in four years.

This would mean that residents would need to consider burials outside of their community from 2025.

A medium- to long-term plan previously approved by the council was to achieve a minimum burial capacity of 20 years at each of the seven cemeteries it manages.

But currently just three cemeteries have capacity of more than 20 years.

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The council’s community services scrutiny committee has now agreed to support the use of compulsory purchase orders to buy land and increase burial capacity.

The committee also agreed, in private, that an application be made for funding to support the land purchase costs and works necessary over the next three years, according to minutes.

Planning permission would also be required to extend the cemeteries onto new land.

The report says buying the land by agreement is normally easier, but compulsory purchase orders may need to be considered where landowners do not want to sell.

Compulsory purchase orders are aimed at ensuring land can be secured, but it is a lengthy process and involves an application to the Welsh Government.