Family dismayed after council denies grandmother’s wish to be buried in Rhyl due to residency rule at Maeshyfryd Cemetery.
Gwen was born in Rhyl in 1929 and later moved there with her husband, Louis. They ran guest houses. After Louis died, she bought a shop, and her daughter, Jacqueline, helped run it too.
Gwen moved to Gronant in 1984. All her friends stayed in Rhyl. That move means she can’t be buried with her family; her husband and parents are in Maeshyfryd Cemetery.
The council has a rule about new graves. You must live in Rhyl when you die. This rule does not affect existing family graves, but the family says those graves are too old now and would be upset to open them again.
The rule comes from a report from 2005 that says you must live in Rhyl for two years before death. The family wants the council to be kinder and to consider each case by itself.
The family thinks the rule is unfair. Someone with a short Rhyl link could be favored, while Gwen had a strong, lifelong connection to Rhyl and loved the town.
Gwen’s granddaughter, Louisa, spoke about it. Gwen was proud of her Rhyl roots, and her wish was to be buried there. The council declined their request and cited the old report.
Louisa said it was very important to Gwen. She wanted to rest with her family in Rhyl. The family was shocked by the council’s decision and felt prevented from honoring her wishes.
She believes this issue will impact others since many people might want to be buried there too. Other local cemeteries don’t have this rule, and the family feels the council isn’t showing compassion.
The council is using a blanket approach and not dealing with individual needs. Communication has also been hard, and the family could not talk with someone directly about the issue.
The council offered their condolences to the family. They said the policy started in 2006 due to limited space at Maeshyfryd Cemetery. The residency rule helps manage the land better but does not apply to current family grave interments.
