At a meeting of Newport Town Council’s leisure and environmental services Committee this week, members considered the findings from a geological survey they commissioned on the land.

Councillor Tim Nelson, committee chairman, said: “There are a few options open to us. We could raise the level of the land or drain it to get the water out or build concrete tombs to put people in. We will be looking at all of our options.

“We regard continuing to offer the facility of burial as being very important to the town. This is a big undertaking.”

The town council bought the land in 2005 but the race is now on to secure the site which may be needed as soon as next year.

The council forked out about £2,500 for the survey, from a pot of £3,974 earmarked for cemetery ground works.

At a meeting of the town council in November, Lee Jakeman, town clerk, said the authority needed the land to be usable for the next 150 years and if it didn’t carry out a survey it would run the risk of facing “big problems” in the future.

Councillor Nelson added: “No body knows how big a deal this is but we need to make sure it’s fit for purpose.

“We need to set up a working party to present to the committee and the town council what our options are for going forward.

“We need to make sure we can offer this provision of the space for burials.

“We have the woodland area for burials which is getting quite full, it’s a victim of its own success. It has proved to be a good amenity.

“Cremated remains are not a problem but there’s big decisions that need to be made from the survey.

“We need to make sure the land is usable.

“The area is known as marsh fields for a reason. It’s not a great mystery that the water table is quite high so we have to act properly with regard to the land.”

The working group will report back to the committee and full council.

By Jason Lavan