Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Cemetery Problems Latest From Council Leader
27 February 2006
"Dear Sir,
I deeply sympathise with the distressed feelings of people in the Bury St Edmunds and Haverhill areas in respect of the naturally emotive issue of cemeteries and headstones and I would be even more sorry if St Edmundsbury Borough Council had contributed unnecessarily to this. If this proves to be the case, I would both apologise without reservation and take the necessary action.
As soon as I was aware of concerns I called for a thorough review to double check that the Council was performing its responsibilities in the best, and the most sensitive, manner possible. The review is now complete, and it is difficult to see how our staff, who care for our cemeteries so well on a day to day basis, could have done things much differently. Burial authorities throughout the country are going through, or have gone through, this testing process and I am reassured by confirmations from the ICCM (Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management) and the Health and Safety Executive that we are going about this properly.
Having said that, there is always room for improvement. I personally believe that the Council could have given people more information before carrying out the work; as a result a step by step leaflet is available alongside information on our website (to add to the publicity already undertaken).
With regard to the posts and notices, which I agree are unsightly, these are to protect the headstones from falling and to advise their owners whom to contact for more information. This problem should be resolved as soon as stonemasons have had the opportunity to carry out repairs.
As for any damage caused, while responsibility for safe maintenance of a headstone belongs with its owner (usually the grave's deed holder), if St Edmundsbury Borough Council has caused any unnecessary damage, or been at fault, then I would expect the Council to pay and make things good.
This testing procedure will now need to be part of a regular programme of safety checks, as I understand it every five years. However I am assured that the associated problems will never be as severe again not least because the most recent headstones are built to higher standards, and so should not fail, and once the unsafe headstones now identified are secured, they should not fail the next time tests are carried out.
Yours sincerely
Cllr John Griffiths
Leader, St Edmundsbury Borough Council
Lynton Cottage
Bardwell Road
Ixworth Thorpe"
27 February 2006
"Dear Sir,
I deeply sympathise with the distressed feelings of people in the Bury St Edmunds and Haverhill areas in respect of the naturally emotive issue of cemeteries and headstones and I would be even more sorry if St Edmundsbury Borough Council had contributed unnecessarily to this. If this proves to be the case, I would both apologise without reservation and take the necessary action.
As soon as I was aware of concerns I called for a thorough review to double check that the Council was performing its responsibilities in the best, and the most sensitive, manner possible. The review is now complete, and it is difficult to see how our staff, who care for our cemeteries so well on a day to day basis, could have done things much differently. Burial authorities throughout the country are going through, or have gone through, this testing process and I am reassured by confirmations from the ICCM (Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management) and the Health and Safety Executive that we are going about this properly.
Having said that, there is always room for improvement. I personally believe that the Council could have given people more information before carrying out the work; as a result a step by step leaflet is available alongside information on our website (to add to the publicity already undertaken).
With regard to the posts and notices, which I agree are unsightly, these are to protect the headstones from falling and to advise their owners whom to contact for more information. This problem should be resolved as soon as stonemasons have had the opportunity to carry out repairs.
As for any damage caused, while responsibility for safe maintenance of a headstone belongs with its owner (usually the grave's deed holder), if St Edmundsbury Borough Council has caused any unnecessary damage, or been at fault, then I would expect the Council to pay and make things good.
This testing procedure will now need to be part of a regular programme of safety checks, as I understand it every five years. However I am assured that the associated problems will never be as severe again not least because the most recent headstones are built to higher standards, and so should not fail, and once the unsafe headstones now identified are secured, they should not fail the next time tests are carried out.
Yours sincerely
Cllr John Griffiths
Leader, St Edmundsbury Borough Council
Lynton Cottage
Bardwell Road
Ixworth Thorpe"
