Teddington Allotments Lost to Cemetery – Petition Fails 2026

Key Points

• Richmond Council has rejected a petition signed by 1,697 to 1,758 residents opposing the extension of Teddington Cemetery onto Shacklegate Lane allotments in Teddington, south-west London.
• The allotments, the only ones in the Teddington neighbourhood and in use for around 100 years, will be repurposed to create approximately 616 new burial plots due to urgent demand, as the cemetery is projected to reach full capacity within the next year.
• Planning permission for the extension was originally granted in 1993, with urgent works approved by the council in December 2025.
• The petition, presented by Jane Cowling to the council’s Environment Committee on March 24, 2026, argued that the move is a short-term solution and urged a long-term sustainable burial plan like other London boroughs, without sacrificing allotment land.
• Residents emphasise the allotments’ role as a vital green space for mental health, physical wellbeing, locally-grown food, and sustainability amid the climate emergency.
• Council officers state there is no burial space left in Teddington, with the last plot sold, necessitating immediate action while exploring long-term options like reusing existing plots.
• Allotment holders will be offered alternative spaces in the borough, and community planters will be installed next to new plots.
• The new plots are expected to last about 30 years.

Teddington, South-West London (South London News) March 30, 2026 – Richmond Council has definitively rejected pleas from nearly 1,700 residents to halt plans converting the borough’s sole Teddington allotments at Shacklegate Lane into an extension of Teddington Cemetery, citing an urgent shortage of burial spaces.

The decision, confirmed following a heated Environment Committee meeting on March 24, 2026, upholds approvals dating back to 1993 and recent urgent permissions granted in December 2025, despite strong community opposition. Local residents, through a petition organised by the Shacklegate Lane Allotment Association, warned that the allotments—described as a “living, breathing part of our community” and Teddington’s “vital green lung”—would be “gone forever” once works commence.

Why Did Residents Oppose the Cemetery Extension?

Residents launched a robust campaign, culminating in a petition signed by 1,697 individuals, as reported across multiple outlets including the Evening Standard and Nub News. The petition explicitly acknowledged the need for more burial spaces but criticised the Shacklegate Lane site as merely a

“short-term solution to the longer-term problem of burial space,”

according to its text.

As reported by Charlotte Lillywhite, Local Democracy Reporter of Nub News, Jane Cowling, who presented the petition to the council’s Environment Committee on March 24, 2026, stated that residents felt strongly the

“needs of the living community, rather than the dead, should be given greater weight.”

Ms Cowling further elaborated:

“This isn’t just a piece of land. It’s a living, breathing part of our community. Since the council first made the decision in the 1990s, the world has changed. People care more than ever about sustainability, about access to green spaces, about mental and physical wellbeing and about locally-grown food.”

She added: “What we heard overwhelmingly from residents is simple. They do not want to lose this space. They don’t want to see a vital green lung in our community replaced, especially when nearly half of the recent burials have been for non-residents.” Candace Taylor from the Shacklegate Lane Allotment Association echoed this, telling Nub News that none of the residents she spoke to

“wanted to see a larger cemetery and all the allotments lost.”

Earlier coverage by Charlotte Lillywhite of Nub News in October 2025 highlighted residents slamming the plans, urging the council to “prioritise the living over the dead” due to high demand for allotments with long waiting lists and their benefits for growing food cheaply and mental health.

What Is the Council’s Justification for the Plans?

Council officers maintained that Teddington Cemetery has no remaining burial space, with the last plot already sold, necessitating swift implementation of the extension. A report recommending approval, as covered by BBC News, deemed the

“loss of allotment space… acceptable in this context, and the addition of burial space is advantageous and in line with the development plan policies.”

Matthew Eady, the council’s Director of Culture and Leisure, addressed the committee, stating:

“Very clearly, there’s lots of love for the allotments, and they’re also really important to the council as well, and we want to support those plot holders to find space within the borough. But we also equally need to ensure that there’s sufficient places for people to be able to be buried.”

Lib Dem councillor and deputy leader Julia Neden-Watts defended the decision, noting that officers ruled partial conversion not “safe, convenient or appropriate.” She said:

“The allotments were provided on a temporary basis, and plot holders have known this, so this is not an unexpected moment in time.”

Earlier, in BBC coverage, she emphasised:

“With Teddington Cemetery likely [to] reach capacity [next year], we take steps now to ensure ongoing access to local burial space.”

The extension will provide around 616 new plots, lasting approximately 30 years, with the council investigating long-term reuse of existing plots and committing to planters as community growing spaces.

Who Supported the Residents’ Campaign?

Green councillor Caroline Wren actively opposed the plans, petitioning against them and arguing at the meeting that circumstances have changed since 1993 due to the climate emergency. As reported by Charlotte Lillywhite of Nub News, Cllr Wren said:

“We should be managing our cemeteries sustainably so that they don’t chew through fresh land. That is the ultimate long-term approach that we’re probably going to have to take in this borough.”

Candace Taylor, a Lib Dem member herself, criticised her own party:

“This isn’t what they expect from their Lib Dem council, which claims to care about sustainability, and as a Lib Dem member, that’s not what I expect. Partial conversion would show residents – your voters – that the council listens to public opinion and is innovative, flexible in finding solutions and adapts to changing views and issues.”

Residents like those quoted in BBC News questioned why the council is

“prioritizing the deceased over the living who require this space,”

while Teddington Nub News noted one resident’s query:

“This is supposedly going to provide burial space for the next 30 years, but what will happen after that?”

What Is the History of These Allotments and Plans?

The Shacklegate Lane allotments have served Teddington for around 100 years, representing the neighbourhood’s only such green space. Planning permission for cemetery extension was granted as early as 1993, but implementation was delayed until urgent approval in December 2025 amid rising demand.

Initial backlash emerged in September 2025, as reported by Teddington Town, warning of threats to “the last remaining allotments in Teddington.” By October, Nub News covered residents’ letters opposing the application, stressing long waiting lists for allotments borough-wide. The petition grew to one of the largest ever presented to Richmond Council, with figures cited as high as 1,758 in Teddington Town coverage.

What Happens Next for Allotment Holders and the Site?

Officers confirmed that plot holders will receive alternative allotment spaces elsewhere in the borough to mitigate the loss. Community planters will be installed adjacent to the new burial plots to preserve some growing opportunities.

The council is pursuing long-term strategies, including maximising existing cemetery space through reuse, though this is not viable short-term. Works are expected to proceed promptly, with the site fully repurposed, ending over a century of allotment use.

Why Is Burial Space a Pressing Issue in Richmond?

Richmond faces an “urgent necessity” for interment spaces, with Teddington Cemetery nearing capacity imminently. The petition called for emulating other London boroughs with sustainable plans avoiding green space loss. Nearly half of recent burials were for non-residents, fuelling debate over prioritisation.