COUNCIL bosses hope to expand Clacton Cemetery to cope with the rising number of burials.

Tendring Council says the district’s cemeteries are under increased pressure because of the ageing population.

Up to 150 people a year are buried at the Burrs Road site.

There have been more than 25,000 burials there since the first took place in 1899.

Spaces are expected to run out within five years unless the application for an extension gets the go-ahead.

A council report says Clacton has “one of the oldest populations of any town in the UK and, as a result, burial rates are expected to grow as this population continues to age and the town population expands in the coming years”.

It adds: “Without the extension of the existing cemetery, bereaved people will lose the choice of a local burial facility.

“It is known that the bereaved prefer to be interred in the vicinity of their home. If the extension does not proceed, the residents of Clacton will need to use other cemeteries, necessitating further travel and putting extra pressure on neighbouring sites.”

The council says the plans provide a “sustainable long-term solution” to burials in the town.