Welcome to the online public consultation
The Memorial Garden (Cemetery & Pavilion)
Address
Land South of Blackburn Road, Oswaldtwistle, BB5 3RE
In a bid to engage with all sections of the community, the Issa Foundation announces an engagement event to unveil redesigned plans for a new cemetery.
The event is scheduled for Thursday, March 7, at the Hampton by Hilton, Frontier Park, BB1 3AL (off jct 6, M65)
The event focuses on plans for The Memorial Garden and Cemetery, located on Blackburn Road.
The session will be 17:30-20:30pm and will offer an open platform for residents to discuss the plans, ask questions, and provide their valuable input.
If you are unable to attend the open-day, please do not hesitate to contact us at: comments@oswaldtwistlecemetery.co.uk
About Us
Given the significant investment required to deliver this community asset, our trustees have agreed to deliver the project through the Issa Foundation, (Charity number: 1166025).
Established in 2016, Issa Foundation is an international charity organisation registered in the United Kingdom.
The principal objectives of the foundation are to invest in programmes which better the lives of people and communities they live in through:
educational provision
improvement in health and wellbeing
creating employment
Our sister charity, the EG Foundation, (Charity number: 1185999) has worked on addressing many community challenges in the United Kingdom. Examples of our recent community projects include:
£47,000 to The Macmillan Trust, 16th September 2023
£178,000 to British Red Cross, 16th May 2023
£100,000 to British Red Cross, 10th February 2023
£350,000 to the East Lancashire Heath Trust & Me, 12th July 2022
£34,000 to Fire Fighters Charity, 26th May 2022
Speech and language therapy donation to the NHS, 17th October 2019
Internationally we have undertaken the following initiatives:
Food distribution for in Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, India, Albania and Bangladesh
Over 1500 House rebuilds in Indonesia, Malawi and India
Empowerment/livelihood projects in Malawi and Assam benefitting over 8000 people
Education programmes and sponsorships for over 1,500 students
Location
Issa Foundation propose to support the development of the cemetery to create a final resting place for the deceased and to provide a peaceful and tranquil landscape for friends and families visiting the graves of their loved ones.
Other services that the Issa foundation aim to provide at the cemetery include:
Transportation of the deceased from home, hospital or the mortuary.
Preparation of the deceased for burial
Burial facilities (washing, shrouding, coffins, burial, back filling, etc)
Provision of family support to help with bereavement
Co-ordination with local coroners, registrars and faith organisations
Any revenue generated from the services will be reinvested in providing ongoing facility resources and funeral services.
Although the full 34 hectares remains in the Issa Foundation’s ownership, the proposed development has been reduced to 13,500 burial plots covering 18.5 hectares. The location of service buildings remain the same as the previous application.
The Proposal
Grid reference to the centre of the Site is SD 722282 (E 372229, N 428272) Latitude 53.750071 & Longitude -2.4226136 (decimal).
The site is bound by Blackburn Road (and Rishton town beyond) to the north, an industrial estate and housing (Oswaldtwistle & Accrington beyond) to the east, the M65 (and Blackburn beyond) to the west and the B6234 Stanhill Road to the south.
The site frontage and access is to Blackburn Road and the site’s topography varies across the site. It comprises of several agricultural fields actively managed for rough grazing. The trees and vegetation on the site are mostly restricted to the site boundaries and the occasional remnants found along internal field boundaries and ditches.
There are two mains electricity overhead cables which run across the site from the north to the south, the pylons are located off site on the opposite side of Blackburn Road to the north and to the south of the site in the field adjacent to the Coach House.
A welcoming environment for everyone to enjoy.
This cause is to create a masterclass resting facility. The appearance is to be of a well maintained garden, with ‘uniform’ graves and evolving natural beauty.
All public paths to be kept open and further encourage biodiversity by enhancing the current nature.
This initiative will create jobs during the development with local supply chain, procurement and on site staff. This will ensure that those who have departed have not been left forgotten.
This site will have on-site staff employed by the Issa Foundation to maintain gardens and graves.
Standardised tomb plaque – No bespoke tomb stones will be allowed, so a uniform approach will be in order and all graves will have the same visual appearance.
A visually amenable, well maintained garden.
The idea is to create a space people will want to visit.
Our Vision
Question and Answers
Why is the cemetery needed?
A) The cemetery is needed to fulfil the local need for muslim burial space. A specialist needs assessment has been completed to address this requirement.
Q) Is the cemetery for exclusive Muslim use?
A) No, the cemetery will welcome people of all faiths and no faith, subject to following the Cemetery policy.
Q) What will the cemetery look like?
A) The cemetery will fit in with the surrounding area, maintained as a well-kept garden with public footpaths that will be kept open and maintained. Other areas will also be opened up for public use. There will be no headstones, and graves will be marked by a small plaque.
Q)Is the size of the scheme appropriate?
A) The site will be developed in phases but is of a size large enough to accommodate future demand, as identified by a need survey.
Q) Will there be a mosque on site?
A) No, the will never be a Mosque on site, the proposed buildings are purely for funeral and burial uses.
Q)Will there be a call to prayer?
A) No, there will not be a call to funeral prayers.
Q) How many funerals will take place each week?
A) We’re expecting about 4-5 funerals a week.
Q) Why should we house the deceased of the whole of East Lancashire?
A) Most people prefer to be buried locally to where they live. While everyone is welcome, this site primarily serves the local community's needs.
Q) Why is there so much parking?
A) The site is spacious, and parking spaces are allocated for convenience. It is not expected to fill up but to provide options to park closer to the visiting area. Parking implementation can be staged to match the usage of the cemetery.
Q) Will this site increase traffic along Blackburn Road?
A) Traffic reports are being prepared to address this question in detail, but the design has been created to minimise any disruption. The site is also well served by public transport.
Q) What are the expected site opening hours?
A) The site will predominately be used during daylight hours.
Q) Will there be an impact on wildlife?
A) The vision includes enhancing biodiversity and encouraging wildlife in the area, with planting and sympathetic landscaping.
Q) What health and safety measures will be in place?
A) Health and safety are a priority, and all necessary measures will be implemented to ensure a safe environment for visitors and staff.
GET IN TOUCH
We would like to know your thoughts on the masterplan. Your views are valued and it is important that people provide their comments/feedback. Please send any questions or comments you may have regarding the development proposal to: comments@oswaldtwistlecemetery.co.uk
Alternatively, please post comments to: Issa Foundation, Waterside Head Office, Haslingden Road, Blackburn, BB1 2FA.
All comments received will be considered and used to help inform the final proposals for the development of this site.