Memorial restrictions
You may have been recently bereaved and, understandably, may like to commemorate your loved one by placing a memorial in the cemetery. To avoid unnecessary stress or suffering on your part there are a number of things that you need to know.
Important points
- Contact the council before installing any type of memorial on a grave
- Make sure the material is approved for use in the cemeteries
- Your memorial is your responsibility – insure it
- Unstable memorials can injure or even kill – take care at all times
What types of memorials are authorised?
If you wish to place a memorial of any description on a grave it has to be approved by the council. It is therefore essential that you contact the council prior to placing the memorial, otherwise the council has the right to remove it without informing you.
Within designated lawn sections of the cemetery there is a height restriction of 3 feet for all memorials. The surround must stretch no further than 3 feet from the head of the grave. In these sections there is also a restriction on the size of decorative surround that may be installed. The surround must be no further than 12 to 24 inches beyond the front of the foot of the memorial.
Decorative surrounds in all sections must be made of a material approved by the council. Those made of plastic, metal or wood are not suitable as they can become entangled in maintenance equipment, potentially causing injury to operatives and other cemetery visitors.
Memorials should generally be of natural stone or an appropriate manufactured substitute. Wood is permissible only for crosses.
If you have any doubt about the acceptability of the materials you intend to use, please contact us.
What liabilities do I have as a memorial owner?
As the owner of the memorial, it is your responsibility to keep it in a safe and orderly manner. It is recommended that you take out insurance cover for your memorial.
The council is currently undertaking an inspection process, occurring on an approximate 5 year cycle. This is for health and safety reasons as unstable memorials can cause serious or even fatal injuries to cemetery users. As such, all memorials will be subjected to a stability test. It is important that owners inform the council of a change of address as otherwise their memorial may be laid flat or even removed if found to be unsafe. Without a current address the council would be unable to contact you regarding any necessary action to be taken.
Other issues
It is generally recommended that you wait at least one year after the funeral before installing a memorial as this gives the grave time to settle. If you wish to mark the grave earlier then you will have to apply to the council for permission to erect a temporary marker. Some funeral directors undertake this on your behalf as part of their service.
Memorials may have to be removed for subsequent burials. Additional costs to those funerals may be incurred at the time because of this and removal could undermine the integrity of the memorial itself. This is particularly the case with kerb surrounds, and it may advisable to wait until all of the burials in the grave have occurred before installing them.
Memorials can be unstable and it is recommended that at all times you and your family members, particularly children, should avoid coming into contact with other memorials while in the cemetery.
Repairs to memorials, other than decorative surrounds, should only be carried out by authorised persons. Check with the council if in doubt.
See also
