OUR Times Jury is very concerned about the effect no longer having an operative cemetery in Cardenden will have on the community.

Alex Burns, Willie Duncan and Bill Burns have lived in the village all of their lives and never believed they would see the day the Auchterderran, Bowhill, Cardenden and Dundonald conurbation of villages would not have a cemetery which villagers could be buried in.

The cemetery in Main Street is full and with no alternative sites available Fife Council have indicated that if anyone wishes to be buried on their death they will have to rely on getting a plot in eitther Kinglassie or Lochgelly.

Bill Burns told us that this is a situation that has been creeping up for quarter of a century and added, “We have a population here of over 5000 people and to not have a cemetery where families can bury loved ones is really not right in the 21st century.

“I am concerned about all the obstacles that the authorities appear to be putting in front of us, they do not seem to be wanting to find an answer to the problem.” Willie Duncan feels that the alternatives recommended at Lochgelly and Kinglassie are not ideal.

“The car parking at Kinglassie is simply not good enough,” he said, “It is wrong to ask mourners to have to park on road verges to grieve a loved one.

“The situation in Lochgelly is anything but ideal either and I feel strongly that Fife Council needs to tackle this now.” Alex Burns commented, “We have identified a number of sites and the council have told us that none of them are suitable because of underground conditions, presumably connected to the mining industry. People from Cardenden deserve to be able to be buried in their own community if they choose that is the way they want to go, and to have a situation like we have here is very unsatisfactory “In all our meetings with the council they have not come up with an alternative site that can be used.

“We have a significant elderly population in the Cardenden area and they do not want to be buried in either Kinglassie or Lochgelly but in their own community.” All three jurors feel that Fife Council should be coming up with an alternative sooner rather than later.