A cemetery on the outskirts of Peel could be extended to provide ‘several thousand’ new burial plots.

The Burial Authority of German is seeking planning permission to expand the cemetery on Douglas Road by a third.

The applicant warns the cemetery will run out of space in a decade and the extension is much needed. They say an opportunity has come up to but the adjacent land and increase the size of the cemetery.

The cover letter in the application says: ‘The cemetery has limited capacity remaining and we will run out of space within a decade.

‘The opportunity has arisen to buy the neighbouring land as there is a willing seller. The Isle of Man sells burial plots of eternity, so it is essential to be able to find land to expand.

‘This would allow for several thousand plots (it is half the size of the existing cemetery). Each plot has the potential for two-three burials, so trebles capacity.’

Despite the expansion, the applicant says there will be no need to increase parking as only one funeral would take place at the site regardless of any extension but a new access road would be created.

There will also be landscaping with the planting of native trees and shrubs to help screen the cemetery. It also says the existing cemetery is ‘in need of a major landscape overhaul’.

Engineers also tested the land to check it was suitable for graves with the soil stable and no ground water encountered.

A previous planning application was submitted in 2010 for a similar extension and was approved with the only concern that errant golf balls from the nearby course might land in the cemetery.

The current application will be considered by the planning committee in due course.