VILLAGERS could soon be able to bury their relatives in cardboard coffins and swap headstones for trees at North Somerset's first green burial site

VILLAGERS could soon be able to bury their relatives in cardboard coffins and swap headstones for trees at North Somerset's first green burial site.Yatton is being touted as a prime candidate for the eco-friendly venture, where burials take place in biodegradable coffins and large headstones and memorials are replaced by trees, plants and flowers.Environmentalists say problems associated with traditional graveyards, such as headstones falling into disrepair, are avoided with the green sites.They often develop into lush green meadows teeming with wildlife and blend in with the surrounding countryside. In other areas, they have turned into nature reserves or picnic sites.Space at many traditional village cemeteries is running out and Yatton Parish Council has struggled for years to find more room for graves.It has just bought a piece of land from North Somerset Council for a traditional site and has agreed to let the authority look seriously at creating a green site on it as well.North Somerset says there is a demand for green burials in the district and Yatton could prove to be an ideal spot for such a site.North Somerset councillor Deborah Yamanaka, who is responsible for environment and community, said: "There is some demand from people who would like to be buried in a green site but I'm not too sure how many there are."I do support the idea in principle but the only thing I am unsure about is funding. I know there is a lot of problems with how full graveyards are becoming and Banwell Parish Council is certainly looking seriously at the possibly of a green site as well.