Memorial items at cemeteries could be removed in crackdown

Families in Leeds could have items placed in memory of loved ones at cemeteries and crematoria removed if they are found to be in breach of regulations.

Senior councillors in Leeds will next week be asked to back the enforcement of rules and regulations concerning memorials being placed on new graves, cemetery extensions and new cemeteries in an attempt to reduce maintenance costs.

Members of Leeds City Council’s executive board will be asked to back the changes when they meet on Wednesday.

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At an earlier meeting it was agreed that the conditions should apply to new plots, as it was felt it would be difficult to enforce the changes on plots already in place.

The proposals are based on recommendations put forward by members of the city development scrutiny board following an inquiry carried out into the issue because of concerns about the ever-increasing time required by council staff in maintaining areas around graves and on strewing areas.

Leeds has previously tended not to actively enforce at its cemeteries and crematoria the regulations, which were based on guidelines issued by the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management.

However, a report to be considered by members of the executive warns the number of memorials being placed around graves means enforcement will now be necessary on new graves, cemetery extensions and new cemeteries in order for them to be easier to maintain.

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A report to members of the committee says: “Lawned gardens enable a consistent lay out and ensure that horticultural maintenance operations are undertaken in the most efficient and effective manner.”

The recommendations to be discussed by councillors on Wednesday propose enforcing the placement of all memorials within the boundaries of grave plots at new graves while also introducing dedicated areas for all memorials to be left at communal strewing areas outside crematoria.

The council says this would enable maintenance to be carried out more effectively as machinery would be able to be used to carry out grass cutting without memorials forming obstacles.

In strewing areas the provision of a designated area would prevent the need for memorials to be moved and carefully replaced each time maintenance takes place.

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Funeral directors would discuss grave conditions with families and ask them to sign their agreement to adhere to them. Specific faith issues will be taken into account.

However the authority says, with the need to respect the sensitivities of a bereaved family of paramount importance, it is recognised that the full implications of these rules and regulations may not be fully understood.

After one month the council would therefore contact the family with a summary of the rules and regulations around grave conditions and memorials as a reminder. If a routine inspection shows the guidelines are not being followed, the council will write to the family explaining the position and asking them to resolve the problem.

If the problem remains, a more formal letter will follow along with a copy of the regulations giving the family another month to take action. If this is still not taken the family will be notified that the items which contravene the guidelines will be removed by council staff one month later and stored. Once this has happened the family will then be written to a final time informing them they have two months to collect the items before they are disposed of.

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Speaking earlier, Coun Adam Ogilvie, the council’s executive member for leisure said: “Our officers are facing more and more memorials being left and it is proving to be a major problem which is only getting worse in terms of the time it takes them to mow the lawns in our cemeteries and crematoria.”