Cemeteries to match new citizen realities

The new strategic plan for Cementiris de Barcelona aims to adapt the services at nine city funeral sites to new realities, needs and demands among citizens. The entity offers cremations, burials, farewell services and support for the mourning process.

19/03/2021 17:05 h

Ajuntament de Barcelona

The new plan has been drafted in coordination with the various cultural and religious groups in the city, to adapt the range of services to match the requirements of different traditions. In this respect, the number of tombs in the Islamic and Jewish sections at the Collserola cemetery will be extended and the agreement culminated with the city’s orthodox communities.

The space for gestational and perinatal mourning, which opened at the end of 2020, will also be developed and promoted to become a point of reference for families mourning the loss of a child during pregnancy or birth.

Similarly, an emotional support programme for managing grief will be set up in coordination with the relevant municipal services, and the feasibility of a pet cemetery at the Collserola facility will be studied.

Improving the service

The goal is to guarantee people the free choice of funeral services at an affordable price, and to offer clear and transparent information to resolve any doubts on procedures when somebody passes away.

A fifth citizen support office will be opened at the Collserola cemetery, adding to those at five other cemeteries and two funeral homes. A new website is also planned, with a virtual cemetery space and a private user area, and work will be done to digitalise the administrative procedure for funerals and related documentation.

More cremations

There is currently more demand for cremations than for burials, meaning the infrastructure must be adapted to meet the change in demand. Consequently, a fifth cremation incinerator will be installed at the Montjuïc cemetery and more spaces provides for ashes on this site and at other city cemeteries.

Environmental and cultural management

The plan will include environmental criteria and measures for cemetery maintenance. These include the renewal of the fleet of vehicles, with electric vehicles favoured, more selective waste collection and the introduction of systems to generate renewable energy.

The plan will also promote initiatives to preserve collective memory, for which the city’s cemeteries serve as deposits, with measures such as maintenance and the promotion of cultural routes and acts of memory to recognise the life and work of significant figures buried in the city’s cemeteries.

More investment

In the period up to 2024, the Master Plan for Cementiris de Barcelona entails an overall investment of 24.8 million euros for the improvement and maintenance of cemetery infrastructures, with 10 million euros for investment and development and 9.3 million euros for preventive and corrective maintenance.