Council to consider plans for dedicated Muslim cemetery
GooglePlans to build a dedicated Muslim cemetery are to be considered by Midlothian Council.
The WAFA foundation charity said it hoped the site, between the King's Gate and Lothian Bridge at Newbattle, near Dalkeith, will be able to accommodate 2,000 plots over the next 100 years.
It said the cemetery, which could handle up to 50 burials a year, will allow families to be buried together and cope with demand for space according to Islamic funeral tradition.
The proposals also involve the construction of two funeral buildings to oversee burials and new car parking facilities.
The land is currently owned by Lothian Estates, although a deal with the Edinburgh-based WAFA Foundation is pending.
It would involve accessing the site through the B-listed, 19th-century King's Gate archway, built for a visit by King George IV to Newbattle Abbey in 1822.
Muslim burials in the UK are carried out in accordance with Islamic religious practices.
Burials usually take place as soon as possible after death, but often within 24 hours where the situation allows.
In the planning application to Midlothian Council, the WAFA Foundation said Scottish Muslim Funeral Services had worked with local authorities across Edinburgh and the Lothians since 2013 to identify suitable sites.
However, they said that was often complicated by a lack of available space for bodies to be interred quickly.
Documents submitted to the local authority said the cemetery would serve Edinburgh and the Lothians' growing Muslim population.
Plans for the development include two modest buildings providing the necessary service, mortuary and prayer facilities.
Midlothian Council will consider the plans at a later date.