A NEW cemetery has won a national green award
The Comet
Wilbury Hills Cemetery, on Stotfold Road in Letchworth GC, won the bronze award in the International Green Apple Awards for 2007, at a ceremony in the House of Commons, run by the Green Organisation.
Environmentalist Dr David Bellamy OBE presented the award to North Hertfordshire District Council.
Wilbury Hills Cemetery was opened and consecrated by The Bishop of Hertford, the Rt Rev Christopher Foster, in June this year, to help relieve the overcrowding problem in established Victorian cemeteries in North Herts.
The judges said: “In reaction to the need for more cemetery land the council chose a former Victorian landfill site as a suitable location for their new development and went about creating a meadow and woodland burial ground as well as the more traditional garden.
“Sustainable development is also incorporated into the buildings that are designed to exceed modern efficiency guidelines.”
The cemetery also includes 45 mausoleum spaces, costing £250,000 to build and provided at the specific request of the Italian community.
The reception building, which overlooks open countryside and includes a non-denominational hall, has been designed to fit in with the surrounding rural landscape with its dark brick and sandstone walls.
Cllr Lynda Needham, NHDC’s portfolio holder for the environment, said: “It is very satisfying to see this exciting project get the national recognition it deserves.
“It is a prime example of the kind of cemetery that suits the 21st century.”
In October, the NHDC team won The Phoenix Award 2007 - run by the Association of Burial Authorities - for the cemetery’s design and innovation.