A PLAN to drain part of a flooded city cemetery has revealed the plots do not have planning permission.

Worcester City Council wants to carry out drainage work to part of Astwood Cemetery which is used for Muslim burials following an investigation last year.

The work has revealed the land, which has been used several times since 2001, did not have planning permission for burials and a neighbouring section of the cemetery which has nearly 450 graves also does not have specific permission.

A council report reveals 11 adults and four babies have been buried on part of the land since 2001 - the latest of which was in March 2018.

Worcester City Council has said it will no longer be using the land for graves and has set aside a different part of the cemetery for Muslim burials to be carried out.

A spokesman for Worcester City Council said: “Positive conversations with family representatives and local mosques have led to an alternative part of the Astwood site being identified for a Muslim burial area and we will be looking to progress these proposals in the very near future.”

The council spokesman added that an application for a lawful development certificate has been made to clear up the issue over planning permission for the two parts of the cemetery.

“In the case of both of these small areas of Astwood Cemetery it would appear that a presumption was made some time ago that they had planning permission, but it has come to light in recent years that they did not," the spokesman said. "An application has now been made for a Certificate of Lawful Development to correct this.”

A review carried out by the council last year found some of the ground at the city cemetery off Astwood Road was no longer suitable for any more graves due to flooding and the council has revealed it now wants to drain the area and build a memorial garden.

The drainage work would cost around £55,000 and take up to a year to finish, the council said, with the memorial garden costing around £25,000 to build.

An extra £25,000 would also need to be put aside to cover maintenance costs for the next 25 years.

The council's communities committee meets next Wednesday (October 28) to discuss the drainage and memorial garden plans.

Jalalabad Association and Worcester Muslim Welfare Association did not respond to our requests for comment.