Buggenhout (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Buggenhout and Opstal will clear 800 expired graves by 2027. Alderman Boeykens says signs stay up for 1 year. Work costs €100,000. Families can renew rights or take items.
As VRT News reported, Buggenhout, a municipality in the province of East Flanders, Belgium, and the village of Opstal will soon clear 800 graves from their cemeteries. This will only happen to graves where the concession has ended or will end soon. It also includes graves without a concession that have passed the allowed time.
Alderman Boeykens says this is not a big or sudden action. It is a delayed update, as the last clearing was in 2017. Since then, many expired graves were left as they were. This created an unfair difference between graves with and without a valid concession.
The town wants to fix this and treat all graves equally. Boeykens says people should not worry. The goal is to remove as few graves as possible. Families can still choose to renew the concession if they want to keep the grave.
“The stone paths will be replaced by cart tracks. We’re preparing it for the future. This approach isn’t just coming from the municipal government itself. Greening cemeteries is also being encouraged at the Flemish level,”
Says Boeykens
What does Buggenhout’s plan mean for local cemeteries?
The town wants to improve its cemeteries, especially the one in Opstal. That cemetery will become a park cemetery with more green space and less concrete. The town has already put up signs at the cemetery and is telling families about the plans. Boeykens says the town is taking careful steps and wants to show respect.
The town of Buggenhout will put up signs at the cemeteries for at least one full year before any graves are cleared. These signs will stay through All Saints’ Day so that more families can see them and take action. The town will not start clearing graves before 2027. The work will cost about €100,000 and will be part of the town’s budget plan from 2026 to 2031.
Alderman Boeykens says they will do the work at both Buggenhout and Opstal cemeteries together to save money. Doing them one by one would cost more. He also says that if many families renew the grave rights, fewer graves will need to be cleared, and the cost will go down. His own family also plans to renew their grave.
Families will be allowed to take away personal items and gravestones before the graves are cleared. This includes flowers, decorations, and other objects placed on the grave. The town wants to give people enough time to collect these things so nothing important is lost. Buggenhout wants to follow the law but also take care of the people and their memories.
“We also offer people on non-concession land the opportunity to still secure a concession. Everyone will have the opportunity to individually assess what needs to be done,”
Boeykens concludes.
