Agenda item

This report presents the outcome of a review of Cemetery rules and regulations.

The review recommends a number of minor amendments to improve wording and clarity, together with several substantive changes which require Committee approval. These amendments are intended to provide greater clarity for grave owners, funeral directors and visitors, whilst ensuring that the regulations reflect current working practices and support the effective management of the Council's cemeteries.

Whilst reviewing the Rules and Regulations, officers also undertook site inspections and identified several cemetery management matters requiring attention. These include tree management, memorial benches, activities within the woodland burial area and the Council's ongoing responsibilities in relation to memorial safety.

Recommendation:

That the Committee:

1.       approves the revised Cemetery Rules and Regulations attached at Appendix A;

2.       authorises officers to implement the revised Cemetery Rules and Regulations and publish them on the Council's website;

3.       approves the removal or cutting back of trees identified as causing damage to memorials or requiring significant maintenance, with works being carried out sensitively and, wherever practicable, following communication with affected families; and

4.       approves the removal of redundant and unsafe benches and confirms that replacement memorial benches will not be permitted in accordance with the Council's current policy.

The Environmental Services Manager presented the report which summarised the outcome of a review of cemetery rules and regulations and proposed revisions in order to improve clarity, reflect current working practices, and support the effective management of the Council’s cemeteries.  Members were also invited to support sensitive tree works and removal of redundant or unsafe memorial benches.  Overall, the proposals were intended to improve safety, accessibility, consistency, and sustainable management of the council's cemeteries.

Councillor Lisa Hudson spoke on the item.  Points and questions raised included whether families would be approached to repair or replace benches which were at end of life at their own expense; if benches are not replaced, what provision would there be for bereaved people to sit when vising the cemetery once all the benches had gone; what assessment has been made against the current guidance to protect against drainage and groundwater issues; and concern about graves increasingly being positioned close to cemetery boundaries.

In response, the Associate Director for Environment confirmed that families were contacted to ask if they would like to replace benches when they reached end of life, and there was a formalised process for new requests for memorial benches.  Any plaques which were removed from benches were kept within the service’s safes and there was also alternative provision for them to be displayed on the memorial wall should families wish.  Information about drainage and groundwater issues had already been provided in response to a Freedom of Information Act request.

In debate, further clarity was provided that the trees referred to in the policy were those which had been placed on graves, or had self-seeded, and had become overgrown over the years.  The proposal intended to both address the existing situation through sensitive tree works, and also to proactively prevent future issues by tightening the regulations to prohibit the planting of trees or shrubs.

Clarity was also provided that recommendation 4 of the report referred to historical benches which had been placed a significant period of time ago and had become dilapidated.  The Council had a Memorial Bench Policy which governed the process for requesting new benches, and which permitted these to be located in many areas within the district rather than at the cemeteries. 

A Committee Member recommended amendment to recommendation 4 to clarify that the Council may, in some circumstances, wish to replace a bench in an existing location, and revised wording was suggested as follows, to be circulated to Committee Members for approval following the meeting:

4.        approves the removal of redundant and unsafe benches and confirms that in circumstances where the Council wishes to replace a bench in an existing location, replacement memorial benches will be permitted only by the Council and installed only by the Council in accordance with the Council’s current policy.  The Council will make every effort to contact the family of the memorialised prior to bench removal.

The Chair moved recommendations 1-3 as set out in the report and on being put to the vote these were carried unanimously.

RESOLVED:

That the Committee:

1.        approves the revised Cemetery Rules and Regulations attached at Appendix A;

2.       authorises officers to implement the revised Cemetery Rules and Regulations and publish them on the Council's website;

3.       approves the removal or cutting back of trees identified as causing damage to memorials or requiring significant maintenance, with works being carried out sensitively and, wherever practicable, following communication with affected families.