The pandemic has helped force a council to submit plans to extend a cemetery – because it has run out of space for new burials.

Conwy county council wants to extend Llanrhos Lawn Cemetery, off Conway Road, Llandudno, by 0.8 hectares according to a planning application lodged by the authority.

There will be gravel paths and drainage as part of the proposal and the new site, if permitted, would be accessible on foot from the existing cemetery.

Llanrhos only had 13 double plots, enough for 26 burials, left on November 9 last year according to a planning needs report and averages 131 interments annually.

It states it could squeeze another 40 spaces into the existing area but they would be a “tight fit and poorly laid out”.

So the council wants permission to use the additional space, off Wormhout Way and currently used as a field for grazing sheep, so it can meet demand.

The document claimed the likelihood of future pandemics means the council has to increase burial provision in the county.

It said: “The need to extend Llanrhos Cemetery is cogent given the level of existing burial provision, local burial rates and the rising and ageing population.

“Furthermore, in the current context of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the added likelihood of ‘pandemic years’, the need for the cemetery extension is further justified as unfortunately the extra deaths lead to an increase in burials.”

The report said four of the county’s 11 cemeteries were already up to capacity and can’t take any more burials.

The report also states with a burial rate of 20% of deaths and the population rising in the county, the number of burials will continue to steadily rise.

Population projections also show the number of over 65s in the county is currently around 27% but that is expected to rise to around 31% by 2028.

The report said although there is currently space at Llangwstenin and Bron y Nant cemeteries, diverting burials from Llanrhos would soon take up their spare capacity and more space would need to be found.

Councillors will debate the proposal at a future planning committee.