Burials will commence at the proposed cemetery at Tomlinson’s after the allocated land is fenced; however, an exact timeline has not been disclosed.
In yesterday’s Post Cabinet Press Briefing, Ambassador Lionel ‘Max’ Hurst, the Chief of Staff in the Office of the Prime Minister, said that the venture may be completed by year end.
According to Wednesday’s Cabinet notes, the government will propose the use of standardised headstones and other regulations to encourage an orderly burial layout in the cemetery.
The location of the new public cemetery has been a bone of contention for residents of the surrounding communities who had raised concerns about the suitability of the site during consultations in December 2017.
Flooding and transportation issues were among the concerns raised by residents amidst suggestions to make use of lands near Crosbies or the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium to replace burials at the St Johns Public Cemetery.
The site in the vicinity of the Heroes Park was first proposed in 2003 by the Antigua Labour Party, and was met with many objections of the burial site being located next to the busy Sir Sydney Walling Highway.
Estimated to cost EC $2 million, the project will feature a non-denominational church, crematorium, and an ecumenical centre across 10 acres of land.
In 2017, the names proposed for the cemetery were Tomlinsons Park or Tomlinsons Garden Cemetery.
