A shortage of lairs in cemeteries across Fife could see people buried outwith their home towns unless new graveyards open soon.
Burial grounds bursting at the seams include those at Kinghorn, West Wemyss, Cardenden, Leven and St Andrews.
Bowhill Cemetery in Cardenden has been full since 2001 and it is understood there will be nowhere left to bury the dead in Kinghorn Cemetery within two years.
As the Courier reported this year, residents of several communities have been barred from buying lairs in advance as space is in such short supply.
Kinghorn minister the Rev Jim Reid was so concerned about the lack of vacant plots in his parish that he went undercover to discover how critical the problem was.
He said: “I phoned anonymously and was told if you die you won’t be buried in Kinghorn because we can’t sell you a plot before time. It would have to be either Burntisland or Hayfield Cemetery in Kirkcaldy.
“You may have lived in Kinghorn all your life, want to be buried here and come the time, there are no plots. This could be an added piece of uncertainty in the midst of bereavement. This needs to be addressed with some urgency.”
Mr Reid said that with the increase in prepaid funeral plans, the refusal to sell advance plots could cause anxiety to people coming towards the end of their lives.
He said: “People want to know where they are going to be buried. There is a changing demographic in Kinghorn. ‘Horners’ might have plots already where their relatives are buried but there are lots of people who have moved into Kinghorn who don’t.”
Kinghorn councillor George Kay said: “I have been given figures which suggest there’s up to two years’ life left in Kinghorn Cemetery.
“I think there are several communities in much the same situation. As far as I know, the new council administration has no capital plans for a cemetery in Kinghorn.
“A paper is going to be presented to committee in the next two or three months and I would hope that it will include plans to consult the people of Kinghorn, to see how much they wish a new cemetery to be prioritised.
“We have to take on board the wider views of the town. Probably 90% of people choose to use the crematorium rather than the cemetery.”
Investigations were conducted into the feasibility of eco-friendly burial sites at Kinghorn and West Wemyss but the proposals were abandoned as they were deemed too costly.
The cemeteries would have been for biodegradable coffins and used trees, flowers and plants as markers instead of headstones.
Several years ago there was also consideration given to using land at Kinghorn Loch for a cemetery but plans fell by the wayside.
Bereavement services manager Liz Murphy said the council was looking at the provision of extra burial grounds across the region.
She said: “There are still a number of lairs available in Kinghorn Cemetery. Although it is reaching capacity, the council has a policy that the advanced sale of lairs is not permitted in cemeteries which are nearly full.
“There are a number of cemeteries across the kingdom in this position, which is one of the reasons why the council is currently in the process of reviewing its strategy for the future provision of cemeteries in Fife.”