Cemetery regulations brought up to date to reflect modern needs

BARNSLEY Cabinet members today (Wednesday) agreed changes made to the borough’s cemetery regulations, which will make provision for minority faiths, allow taller headstones, larger cremation plot facilities and allow kerbs to be provided in some areas.

Members were informed that the cemetery regulations were in excess of 20 years old and had become out of date. They did not reflect society’s current needs, modern practices and changes that have taken place regarding safety measures, particularly in respect of memorials.

Some of the content was ambiguous or lacked clarity so there was an opportunity to revise the regulations to make the content more relevant to current ways of working and simpler for people to understand.

A comprehensive review of the regulations took place, including consultation with registered stone masons, funeral directors and the Borough Secretary and the following changes have been made:

In response to increasing demand and taking into account the use of more modern grass cutting machinery, kerbs on memorials will now be allowed on new, specified areas.

Raft foundations will be provided where ground conditions allow and headstones will be mounted on them. This improves stability and will allow headstones to be erected immediately after the funeral.

Where raft foundations or ground anchors are used, larger headstones will be permitted, up to a maximum height of 4’ 6” compared with the former 3’.

Commercial filming and photography within a cemetery or the crematorium will now require permission from Regulatory Services.

The new regulations make it explicit that spoil from the digging of a grave can be placed on an adjacent grave to allow a funeral to take place. This is normal practice but did not appear in former regulations. Any excavated soil is not placed in physical contact with the grave but is placed in a structure that carries the spoil over the grave. The grave itself is covered to ensure no damage or defacement occurs.

Temporary markers for new graves are now permitted for 24 months after the funeral but the council has the authority to remove such markers after that time.

With regards to operational changes to regulations, the opening and closing times of cemeteries will be standardised and specified – previously most were specified by relating to dawn and dusk.

ENDS

Issued by press office, 01226 773375, email: pressoffice@barnsley.gov.uk