Cash boost for historic cemetery

Plans to restore an historic cemetery in Leeds have been boosted by £150,000 from the city council.

The cash will go towards improvements at Beckett Street Cemetery in Harehills - the first municipal burial site in England when it opened in 1845.

The council has released the money as part of a £3.7m programme to revitalise the city's parks ands green spaces.

Cemetery conservation experts have been asked to examine options for improving the 6.5-hectare (16-acre) site.

'Hidden gem'

The leader of Leeds City Council, councillor Andrew Carter, said: "Beckett Street Cemetery is a hidden gem, and we are determined to restore it to its former glory.

"Funding of £150,00 from the parks renaissance fund has already been allocated to this important project and we are determined that the restoration work will make the site safe and accessible for everyone.

"The next step is to use the study to form a clear conservation plan, which will be used to submit a substantial lottery bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund."

John Procter, executive member for leisure, added: "It's very important that people have access to good-quality green space and nowhere more so than Harehills where every piece of space is under pressure."

The parks renaissance programme is being carried out over the next two years to improve landscaping and horticulture in 23 parks and green spaces all over the city.