Purpose

Application of a consolidated set of North Northants Cemetery
Regulations to all NNC Cemeteries.

Content

RESOLVED
 
KEY DECISION
 

That the Executive:

 

a)      
Approved the proposed Cemetery
Regulations and their application to all 13 cemeteries owned and
managed by North Northamptonshire Council.

 

b)      
Approved the digging of only
single depth new graves in areas where the soil conditions make the
digging and reopening of single depth graves unsuitable.

 

c)       
Agreed to the alignment of the
opening hours in Wellingborough cemeteries to match the hours
across the rest of the North Northamptonshire
cemeteries.

 

 

Reasons for
Recommendations:

 

a)    
A cemetery needs to provide
families and visitors with a safe and peaceful environment.
Currently the regulations differ as to what is permitted across the
types of memorials depending on which cemetery the grave and
memorial is located in. By harmonising the regulations, then all
new graves and memorials in a traditional area will have the same
size and permit requirements, this is repeated for the ashes and
lawn memorial areas, and the oversized, green and multifaith areas
where appropriate. It removes any issues of confusion and offers
the same opportunities to all families who choose to bury their
loved ones in a Council-owned cemetery.

 

b)    
The digging of single depth graves
takes into account the difficult ground conditions and compliance
with safe practice with respect to health and safety which benefits
both staff and visitors.

 

c)    
The simplification of the
Wellingborough opening hours to match the hours across other North
Northamptonshire cemeteries brings the benefits of removing the
likelihood of slips, trips and falls, and other potential accidents
in a low-lit environment, reduces the opportunities for antisocial
behaviour as the site will be secured before dark and finally,
the 
simplification
of 
opening hours will make the
messaging to users easier and consistent across the Council’s
cemetery grounds.

 

Alternative Options Considered:
The alternative option considered was to leave the differing
Regulations in place across the cemeteries. This was rejected as
both the standard of Service and the fees and charges for
bereavement services have been harmonised over the last 3 years.
Following a restructure of the team, to assist in aligning the
delivery standards, the harmonisation of the regulations is the
final stage in offering a consistent and improved standard of
bereavement service to the residents of North
Northamptonshire.