Councillor offers money to help acquire land for cemetery

A Galway county councillor is willing to provide a substantial five-figure sum in order to acquire land so that a new cemetery can be provided in Annaghdown.

Cllr James Charity said that he would provide the money subject to four or six similarly interested locals also becoming involved by providing matching funding so that the necessary land can be purchased.

It would result in a not-for-profit company being established – and those involved in the company would be reimbursed from the sale of plots over the coming years.

The controversy over the extension to Annaghdown Cemetery has been rumbling on for several years with Galway County Council coming in for criticism for not acquiring lands necessary – the local authority said that the asking price for the properties viewed was excessive.

But Cllr Charity has said that the two potential sites being considered by Galway County Council have development potential and therefore they are worth more than mere agricultural values.

He said in only wishing to pay agricultural value for land (€10,000 per acre), the Council fail to admit they sell a minimum of 270 plots per acre for a price of € 726 per plot, meaning they profit nearly €190,000 on every acre.

“If the Council are of the view that landowners are being unreasonable, they can acquire the land for the purposes of a cemetery under the Public Health (Ireland) Act 1878. The onus is then on the landowner to prove to an independent arbitrator that the land is worth more.

“To date, the Council have not used this legislation to procure land, despite one third of the county’s 230 cemeteries being full or near full, because they know they are profiting substantially at the expense of local communities and the agricultural value argument would not hold up at arbitration,” Cllr Charity added.

In saying that he has no faith in the Council’s willingness to resolve the situation in Annaghdown, he believes the only solution is to follow the model used in Furbo and acquire land privately.

“To that end, I am willing to pay in a substantial five figure sum for the land acquisition and development costs of a local cemetery in Annaghdown, subject to a minimum of four to six similarly interested locals also becoming involved and providing matching funding.

“A charitable not for profit company would then be established which, after reimbursing those involved of their initial outlay, interest free, would ring-fence all further monies for the ongoing operation and maintenance of the cemetery.

“It would also allow for the procurement of future lands needed in the event of expansion. I am calling for anyone interested in becoming involved in this mechanism to approach me over the coming weeks,” Cllr Charity added.

Last week Galway County Council issued a statement saying that the viewed nine properties and they were all either unsuitable or too expensive.

The local authority says negotiations over two new potential sites have now ended, as the prices sought by the landowners are beyond their financial means.