Posted on: 16th April 2025

The Chapel of Rest at Hunslet Cemetery has stopped taking bookings for funeral services, with council officers citing a decline in demand and rising costs of keeping the building heated.

In response to a query from Cllr Paul Wray (Labour, Hunslet & Riverside), officers said that families tend to prefer using other venues for funeral services, such as Cottingley Crematorium or funeral director-operated Chapels of Rest. In recent years, usage of Hunslet Chapel has fallen to around 10 or 12 occasions annually.

The cemetery is not in Cllr Wray’s ward, and therefore, he had not been involved in any consultation ahead of the closure. It is, however, close to the ward boundary and used by many of his constituents.

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