A.W. Lymn The Family Funeral Service is urging local authorities and the Government to consider more innovative and sustainable approaches to the UK’s growing burial space crisis, inspired by a new scheme in Paris that allows grave plots to be reused via a public lottery.
The East Midlands-based firm, which has served families across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, and Leicestershire for over a century, believes the Paris model, while not perfect, should prompt a serious rethink of burial policies in the UK.
The French capital is offering individuals the chance to enter a lottery for burial plots in historic cemeteries, where expired grave leases are being reused. In some cases, old gravestones need repair, with purchasers required to pay £3,500 to restore the damaged headstone and acquire a burial plot alongside it.
In the UK, the lack of burial space continues to be a problem, with some predictions stating that burial space in London could run out in less than a decade.
A.W. Lymn Managing Director Matthew Lymn Rose believes similar ideas to those being introduced in Paris could be adapted to suit the UK.
“There’s a strong case for exploring grave reuse in historic cemeteries,” Matthew said. “Paris has shown that with sensitivity and good planning, you can bring heritage burial sites back into use. We need smart, respectful solutions as it’s well documented the UK is running out of grave space.”
In London, local councils have the legal authority to reclaim and resell grave plots after 75 years, especially in cases where graves were sold in perpetuity but have unused space. This includes the practice of turning headstones to inscribe new names, making use of deep family plots that were originally intended for multiple interments.
“It’s a thoughtful way of balancing respect for the past with practical needs today,” added Matthew. “Rather than leaving grave space unused because of outdated paperwork or lost deeds, this approach allows councils to responsibly manage burial land, maintain cemeteries, and offer families a dignified final resting place in areas where space is otherwise unavailable. This is all alongside them being able to make extra revenue, as we know so many UK councils are strapped for funds and this is one way to generate more money.”
Outside London, however, the situation is less flexible. Graves are typically treated as the property of the family, with deeds issued at the time of purchase. But over time, these deeds are frequently lost, and many graves go unmaintained or underused, leaving valuable space effectively locked away with no legal mechanism to bring it back into circulation.
“Victorian graves were often dug for four, six, or even eight people,” Matthew said. “Today, a grave for two or three is considered deep. There’s a huge opportunity to reuse these older graves, but the law outside London doesn’t make it easy even when it’s clear no one has visited or maintained a plot for decades.”
The call for action comes amid mounting challenges across the UK. Planning applications for new cemeteries, such as a proposed 8,500-plot site near Peterborough, are frequently delayed or rejected. Meanwhile, existing cemeteries like the one in King’s Lynn are facing closure due to new environmental regulations, leaving local communities without nearby burial options.
Matthew continued: “The Paris scheme should be a wake-up call. We need to think ahead and develop national policies that allow for the respectful reuse of graves where appropriate.”
A.W. Lymn was established in Nottingham in 1907 and has grown to become the city and county’s largest independent funeral directors, operating 25 branches across the region. Having recently acquired M.A. Mills and expanded into Leicestershire, it continues to grow its reach and network of talented funeral directors supporting the bereaved.