Essential work needed to make headstones safe

Daventry District Council recently carried out the inspection to comply with Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidelines for burial authorities. The guidelines recommend safety checks on the stability of headstones at least once every five years to safeguard visitors and those tending the cemetery.

The council is now urgently trying to trace relatives of the 54 affected graves. Unfortunately records for some of these relatives are out of date and the council is asking people who think their details need updating to get in touch, as they could be affected by actions to make the headstones safe.

As an interim measure to ensure the safety of the site, damaged or crumbling headstones which have been found to be unsafe could be laid flat while options for their repair are being explored.

Ian Vincent, Executive Director at Daventry District Council, said:  “We have contact details for around 30 of the 54 affected graves and have sent out letters asking them to get in touch, though some of those details may now be out of date. For the others, we just don’t know because the graves are very old.

“This is an extremely delicate subject and we do not wish to cause distress or upset to bereaved families, but we have a legal responsibility to safeguard those visiting the cemetery. This means we must act to make the headstones safe. 

“This issue affects the whole of the country and can result in the HSE closing the gates until the cemetery has been made safe. This obviously affects everyone who wishes to visit.

“What we need is for families to come forward if they have a relative in Welton Road Cemetery so we can discuss the options with those responsible for the safe upkeep of headstones.”

Responsibility for the upkeep of a memorial lies with the purchaser or owner. In many instances, they are very old and the purchaser/owner has moved away, passed on themselves and no family member is currently maintaining it, or cannot be traced. It should be noted that in some cases it is not obvious to the grave owner that the headstone is unsafe and is only detected after a safety check has been performed.

Families who are contacted informing them of their unsafe headstones will be encouraged to employ the services of a memorial stonemason to repair or replace a headstone.

All memorial owners or visitors to the graves in the cemetery are asked to contact the Clerk of Burials on 01327 302313 between the hours of 9am and 4pm Monday to Friday to update their contact details.

More information on the headstone safety procedures at Welton Road Cemetery can be found at www.daventrydc.gov.uk/headstone-safety/