The future expansion of Maldon’s cemetery has moved a step closer just months after a council u-turn.Maldon District Council had withdrawn £10,000 from its budget for this year to begin work on the expansion of the London Road cemetery.But after a petition from furious residents it was agreed the council would allow the cemetery department to put in an application to expand on adjacent land.The cemetery is expected to be full by 2024 at the latest.Now the council has asked its planning department whether it would require an Environmental Impact Assessment when it submits the plans. The assessment evaluates the likely environmental impacts of the proposed development on 3.2 hectares of arable land.