Cemetery

Introduction

The Council wishes to ensure all memorials are in a satisfactory condition to ensure the safety of those visiting the cemetery. From August 2017 Lutton Parish Council will be commencing safety inspections, which will occur every five years.

The purpose of these guidelines is to specify how the inspections will be carried out and what (if any) action will be taken to ensure memorials are safe.

The Council would like to emphasise that no machinery will be used; all testing will be completed by hand, and with respectful sensitivity, following appropriate training.

Communication

Before the inspection is carried out families and parishioners will be made aware by the following:

Minutes from Parish Council meetings, published on the Council website

Notices on all parish noticeboards, cemetery gates, on the Council website and in the village hall

A notice in The Voice newspaper for two weeks at the beginning of August.

Guidelines

The Council acknowledges there are many different types of memorial and as a result, will apply proportionate testing which will not include any memorial less than 18 inches in height.

Those memorials which will be inspected will be recorded by occupant name, photographed and result of inspection recorded, as per below process.

Inspection Process

The inspection aims to identify any hazards, evaluate the risk, record significant findings and repairs required, followed by the review of the necessary improvements in safety.

Each memorial will be assessed as follows:

Visual inspection: For obvious signs of instability including: damaged/eroded bonding, movement of memorial from original position, leaning memorials, evidence of structural damage.  

Hand test: To identify any stability issues and completed by applying firm but steady pressure in varying directions to determine if the memorial is loose.

It is expected that the majority of memorials will not require further action. Where instability is found, the risk will be evaluated and appropriate steps taken.

Further action: Where a memorial is found to be unstable to an extent that action is required to manage the risk, it will be marked with a small plastic stake stating the inspection result and a request to contact the clerk to discuss the findings. Any required repairs should be completed in due course.

Only in extreme cases of immediate topple risk will a memorial be laid down.

Memorial ownership

The Council is aware that in some cases the memorial owner cannot be identified. Any memorial which has been recorded as unstable and requiring repair will be marked for 30 days. Where possible, the clerk will contact the grave owner directly to advise them of the inspection findings.

Where the owner cannot be identified and no communication is received by the clerk following the notice period, the Council will presume ownership of the memorial and meet the expense of repairs to be completed by an appropriate professional.