Arranging a burial

Apply for a burial

We are legally obliged to keep a register of every burial which takes place within our cemeteries.

For a burial to take place, you'll need to complete an application form.

Other forms that may need to be submitted are:

Choosing burial or cremation

When making a choice, you should consider your:

• budget 
• personal beliefs
• religion
• loved one's wishes 

If you choose burial, remember that:

• burials in a new grave can be arranged to take place within hours of a death occurring
• burials allow for the deceased to be exhumed for further examination if there are any concerns over the cause of their death
• burials cost more than cremation
• you can only purchase the exclusive right of burial (‘Right’) for a grave - you cannot own the land itself. Walsall Council ‘Rights’ are for a period of 100 years
• if you, or the deceased, already own a ‘Right’, the deed will need to be produced to allow the burial to take place. If the deed is not available, we will need to carry out records searches which could delay the funeral
• if you, and/or the deceased, lived outside of Walsall, the fee for the ‘Right’ and the interment will be doubled
• there are restrictions on the types of memorials and memorabilia permitted in Walsall cemeteries
• if you, or your family, live or move away it might be more difficult to visit the grave

Find out which cemeteries have availability for new graves.

Booking a burial or scattering of ashes

Decide whether to have the ashes buried or scattered

The burial options are:

• under a kerbside plaque at Bloxwich, Ryecroft or Streetly cemetery
• in a Foley vault at Streetly Cemetery
• in a cremated remains grave at Bentley, Bloxwich, North Walsall, Streetly or Willenhall Lawn cemetery
• in a family grave (this will require the permission of the grave owner)
• in a new, full-size grave at North Walsall, Streetly or Willenhall Lawn cemetery

The scatter options are:

• Bloxwich cemetery garden of remembrance
• Ryecroft cemetery garden of remembrance
• Streetly cemetery garden of remembrance

A garden of remembrance is a large, grassed communal areas where a number of ashes are scattered each year. There are specific areas for leaving floral tributes but no individual or personal memorials can be placed in the gardens themselves.

Complete the application form

Once you've made your decision, you'll need to complete the relevant application form.

What happens next

1. Family or funeral director submit all relevant paperwork via email to BereavementServices@walsall.gov.uk
2. We will call you to book an appointment and take payment (please make sure you supply us with a contact number in your email). Please note our number shows as withheld
3. We will email confirmation of your appointment. This will include a map of where to meet our representative
4. On the day of the service family arrive at the cemetery or crematorium and gather in the specified location
5. A council representative will meet you and carry out identity checks, then
   • Burial:
     • Representative will place the ashes in accordance with your application
     • Representative will install the memorial plaque or backfill the grave
   • Scatter:
     • Representative will take the ashes and transfer them into a scattering urn
     • Representative will return and lead you to the Garden of Remembrance where the ashes will be scattered in accordance with the instruction you gave on the application form
6. Our staff will update the records to show the location of the ashes

Out of hours burial service

We offer an out of hours burial service. There is an enhanced fee for this.

The following forms are required for this service:

• Application for burial in an adult section
• Burials without funeral director (self-arranged funeral) form

Although this service is aimed at those with a spiritual or cultural requirement for a funeral to be carried out as soon as possible after a death, the service is available to anyone.

You can download further information below: