A Glasgow cemetery is to be extended, creating space for 2,500 new lairs.

The new 14.7 hectare plot at the city council’s Linn cemetery will provide a burial ground for Glasgow's Muslim community.

The Linn extension was granted planning permission after plans attracted no objections.

Now Glasgow City Council's Executive Committee has approved the £450,000 capital funding necessary to establish the addition to the site - which will operate under the same conditions as the existing cemetery, but will feature a reserved area for Muslim burials.

-- Advertisement --

Cllr Ruth Simpson, Executive Member for Land and Environmental Services, said: "We have worked closely with Glasgow's mosques to identify a suitable site for burials and, by extending the existing Linn cemetery, I think we have found a welcome solution."

With limited capacity remaining at their current cemetery at Cathcart, city mosques have been searching for an appropriate new site since 2001.

A number of different locations were considered and assessed, with the aim of identifying one that best met the needs of the Muslim community as well as being compatible with planning policy.

The extension will be created on council-owned green belt land on the southern fringe of Castlemilk and is separated from the main part of Linn cemetery by a narrow belt of woodland.

It will be accessed through Carmunnock Cemetery, where the road will be upgraded, and parking will be provided for up to 60 cars, including dedicated disabled spaces.

(GK/JM)