The crematorium opened in 1961 when expectations were for 700 cremations a year but demand means a new facility is being proposed
A final decision on the future of Belfast’s Roselawn cemetery is approaching after a City Hall committee backed a plan to redevelop the site with a new two-chapel building.
Elected representatives at the council’s Strategic Policy and Resources Committee recently approved a proposal for a new two-chapel crematorium at the current site at Roselawn. The vote, which was taken behind closed doors in a secret meeting away from the public and press, has not been made public, but reportedly was not unanimous, with Sinn Féin showing opposition to the proposal.
The committee decision will go to the next monthly meeting of the full council for ratification, on Monday March 2, where it is expected there will be another vote on the matter.
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Belfast City Council first revealed an £18 million plan for a new crematorium five years ago, while funeral directors and families have expressed frustration at the long delay in decision-making at City Hall. It was due to open in 2024, and accommodate 4,500 ceremonies a year. Meanwhile long lists of families using the facility are limited to rushed ceremonies packed into 20 minute slots.
The crematorium opened in 1961 when expectations were for 700 cremations a year, but demand has significantly grown since then in Northern Ireland. Up until 2023 Roselawn had the only crematorium in Northern Ireland, Antrim and Newtonabbey now also provides a service.
Green Councillor Anthony Flynn, who made the proposal for a new two chapel crematorium at the current site at a Belfast Council working group, welcomed the committee decision.
He said: “A few weeks ago I visited Roselawn to meet the staff and see first-hand how services are being delivered. The people working there are doing incredible work. They support families with compassion and professionalism at the most difficult moments in their lives. They deserve real credit.
“But the building itself is no longer fit for purpose. It was designed in the 1960s for a very different Belfast. Since then, our city has grown and changed.
“Funeral practices have evolved. Families now expect more flexibility, more time and more space to grieve in a way that reflects their traditions and beliefs. The current facilities simply cannot meet that demand.
“That is why I have consistently supported a new two chapel crematorium at Roselawn, with a hybrid model that gives families longer service times if they want them. It is about dignity, choice and modern facilities that reflect the needs of today’s Belfast.”
He added: “This week, a committee approved the proposal for the new two chapel site. It will now go to full council for ratification. Some have argued it should be built somewhere else.
“But residents have already waited years for improvement. Delaying again would mean more time, more cost and no better outcome for families who need certainty now. For me, this is simple. Support the staff, support the investment, support families at their time of grief.”
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