Safety inspections under way at cemeteries

Newcastle City Council has a duty of care to ensure its cemeteries are safe places for people to visit and for staff to work in.

The Council has allocated an initial £150,000 to fund inspection works in its 10 cemeteries over six months.

The inspections will take place at:

• Jesmond Old Cemetery
• All Saints Cemetery
• Byker and Heaton Cemetery
• St John’s Cemetery
• Hollywood Cemetery
• Lemington Cemetery
• North Gosforth Cemetery
• St Andrew’s Cemetery
• St Nicholas’ Cemetery
• West Road Cemetery

Staff have begun visually inspecting gravestones over 2ft tall to assess their condition and identify any defects.

They are also carrying out gentle hand push tests to check the memorials are secure and are not at risk of falling over.

If any headstones need to be repaired, they will be supported by wooden stakes and bands to keep them stable.

A temporary notice will be placed on the memorial to inform the public of the inspection and ask the plot holder to contact the Council’s bereavement service.

The service will also contact the grave owner should it have their information.

The plot holder is responsible for arranging for the memorial to be repaired and the work must be carried out by a mason registered with the Council.

If any headstones are deemed to be at immediate risk of falling over, they will be cordoned off or carefully laid flat on the grave with the inscription facing up.

Cllr Paula Maines, Newcastle City Council Cabinet member for a Resilient City, said: “We recognise the importance of cemeteries in our communities and understand many of the old memorials are of historic significance to the city.

“We have a duty of care to ensure our cemeteries are safe places for people to pay their respects and for our staff to work, which is why we must carry out the inspections and take action should any headstones need to be repaired.

“We would like to reassure residents that our staff are highly trained and the safety inspections will be carried out with the greatest respect and sensitivity.

“We will do our best to contact plot holders should their headstone need to be repaired but please appreciate this may not always be possible if we do not have their details.”

If you own a headstone in one of the city’s cemeteries, please get in touch with the Council if your contact details have changed.

You can contact the Council’s Bereavement Services by calling 0191 211 6941 or email memorialsafety@newcastle.gov.uk.