The Centre for Natural Burial

By Gavin Havery, Northern Echo

An environmentalist is looking for a site in County Durham to create a green burial ground and set up a community consisting of eco-friendly mini-industries. Ian Rutland, director of Sustainability North-East, needs 60 acres of land for his £1.25m project.

The 47-year-old, from Pity Me, near Durham, will create a wooded area where people can be buried in a way that will not harm the environment.

He also wants to create a small community that produces its own power with wind turbines and solar panels for five houses made from compacted earth.

Residents will also be able to generate their own income with a range of activities such as growing organic fruit and vegetables, or creating art and craft work.

Mr Rutland said: “I hope that people who are concerned about the environment and want to live this sort of lifestyle will be interested and bring ideas of their own to it.”

Additional plans include educational links with schools, dropin facilities and a training workshop.

Two-thirds of the land will be given over to the green burial plan, with the rest for the housing and allotment areas.

Mr Rutland estimates he will be able to fit 12,000 burial plots on the land, which will be in a glade area and shielded by trees.

A series of wooded walkways will be created so bereaved people can come to grieve for their loved ones in a peaceful and tranquil area.

The scheme will create ten jobs for people managing the site.

Mr Rutland said: “I hope that people will receive this scheme well.

“Green burials and woodland sites are probably the fastest growing area of the funeral industry.

“Some people think that cremation is the environmentallyfriendly thing to do, but it takes a lot of energy to do one and it puts a lot of dioxides into the atmosphere.

“People are looking for a viable alternative to what is available now.”

There are a range of eco-friendly coffins on the market made out of materials such as cardboard, wicker and bamboo.

Mr Rutland is currently involved in a pilot scheme with Durham City Council on four acres of land at South Road Cemetery, in Durham city.