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A change in regulations at Margam Crematorium has left some families unable to have their ashes buried alongside loved ones in the historic parts of the crematorium’s gardens of remembrance. From next month, the facility will no longer permit new interments to be placed adjacent to previous ashes in these older areas. This shift has deeply affected people such as Katherine James, 58, from Port Talbot, who lost her stillborn daughter over 35 years ago.
Katherine’s daughter, Carrie-Anne, was stillborn in 1989, and her ashes were buried at Margam Crematorium. Katherine had planned to have her own ashes laid to rest beside her daughter one day. She explained her heartbreak at the new rules, saying, “It’s heart-breaking for families – I want to be with my little girl.” Outside the crematorium, she expressed her anguish: “I buried my daughter’s ashes here in 1989 on the understanding I could one day go in with her. Now I’m being told no.” Despite having a funeral plan that specifies this wish, the crematorium has informed her that it is no longer possible.
The local council, Neath Port Talbot, has cited the lack of available space in the historic sections as the reason for the policy change. A spokesperson explained that “it is no longer possible to find suitable space next to earlier interments without risking disturbance to existing remains.” Additionally, wet ground conditions make scattering ashes unfeasible as they “may not settle naturally or in a dignified way.” The council acknowledged the emotional importance of interring loved ones close to each other but said it must balance this with the practical need to preserve the integrity of the grounds. However, the council assured that other sections of the gardens remain available for new burials, and support would be provided to families seeking options.
Other families have also been affected by the new regulations. Katherine, for instance, recently faced a difficult decision with only a few days’ notice to arrange the burial of her late mother, Nina Morris’s ashes, amid concerns that some relatives could not attend due to the short timeframe. Another mournful voice is Wendy Williams, 61, who lost her husband, Steven, in 2019. Having written in her will that she wished to be buried with him, she described the change as a “devastating blow” and said she had to break the news to her sons that she could no longer be laid to rest alongside their father. These stories highlight the emotional toll the crematorium’s updated policy is taking on families hoping to keep their loved ones together in perpetuity
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