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Bereaved families could be able to bury cremated remains of their loved ones above ground under plans by a council.

Flintshire council has come up with the idea as it lacks burial space, and the move could reduce the need to buy more burial space.

A columbarium is an above ground piece of architecture which is made up of individual chambers housing cremated remains.

The financial and environmental benefits are to be explored.

The authority's climate change committee has backed a motion from Hawarden and Mancot councillor Sam Swash to look at those benefits.

In Flintshire 70% of people opt for burial and 30% for cremation.

Buckley and Hawarden cemeteries have four years of space left, and Bagillt has 16 years, but maintenance costs of cemeteries are high and they can fall into disrepair unless kept by volunteers.

"The issue of dealing with human remains really is a ticking timebomb," Mr Swash said.

"Traditional burials are an incredibly inefficient way of storing human remains.

"Built-up urban communities have been feeling this particular problem for quite a long time but it's also beginning to affect places like Flintshire now.

He added: "The burial of human remains is carbon intensive but it also takes up vast swathes of green space which could potentially be better utilised.

"A not insignificant amount of land is unsuitable for human burial such as land susceptible to flooding."