The parish council wishes to advise that we have just carried out the annual safety inspection in the Cemetery in accordance with the Local Authorities Cemeteries Order 1977.
Unfortunately, the inspection revealed that a number of the memorials have become unstable as a result of the cement securing the base to the foundation failing, probably as a result of the unusually wet conditions that we have been experiencing over the past few months.
Where memorials were not secured to the foundations and in accordance with the regulations, they have temporarily been laid down. The monumental masons will be visiting the cemetery later this week to advise the parish council on the works required to reinstate the memorials.
We understand that this may cause distress and would like to apologies for this. The decision to lay down the memorial stones was not taken lightly and as a parish council we are endeavouring to work with the monumental masons to deal with the situation as sensitively and as quickly possible.
UPDATE:
As you will be aware, following the safety review of the Cemetery on Tuesday 14th May, carried out in accordance with Schedule 3 of the Local Authorities Cemeteries Order 1977, the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and guidance on Cemetery Management published by the Ministry of Justice, the decision was taken to lay down a number of memorials, where the bonding to the base had failed, in the cemetery for safety reasons.
Following that urgent action, the Parish Council received advice yesterday from the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management that, having now acquired the necessary materials, it was acceptable to reinstate and stake and bind those memorials that could be made stable.
The ICCM is appointed by WALC to run the training courses for cemetery management attended by Parish Council officers.
Accordingly, yesterday the Parish Council reinstated, on their foundations, all but three of the memorials. The remaining three memorial stones could not be made stable.
The stones were inspected first, checked for their structural integrity before being reinstated on their foundations. The end of the stakes were placed into the ground and were then bound to the memorials using 6mm rope. The stakes were then marked with hazard warning tape.
Each memorial, reinstated, was then checked for stability.
20 May 2024
Cemetery Update 29 July 2024:
Dear Bishop’s Itchington Community,
Recently, an unprecedented number of memorials at the cemetery were found to have come away from their foundations. The parish council is looking into what may have caused this and hope to find a solution to reduce the impact in the future. In the meantime, we need to find close relatives of those interred whose memorials have been affected. Where family members can be found, we will seek their consent to work on the memorials.
Thank you to everyone who shared the recent FB posts about memorial ownership.
This helped us to find several more families connected to memorials for which we didn’t have details.
What Next?
It is in the community’s best interest to ensure the cemetery is a tranquil and safe space to honour loved ones and, therefore, the parish council will cover the costs for reinstating the memorials on this occasion.
This offer is made without prejudice and is on the understanding that future repairs are the responsibility of the families.
The parish council has approached several suitably qualified memorial masons and would like to accept a cost-effective quote from Stephen Hill Memorials (www.stephenhillmemorials.co.uk).
Stephen Hill is accredited and qualified to reinstate the affected memorials to the appropriate standard, in line with current requirements.
Things you may want to know:
•When is the work going to take place?
We expect it to start in September 2024, though this will be dependent on weather and the memorial mason’s workload.
•How long will it take?
Once started, it should be complete in around eight weeks.
•Does this really need to be done?
Yes, the affected memorials are not properly fixed in place and the parish council is responsible for making sure the cemetery is a safe place. The work must be carried out by a qualified stonemason and in line with National Association of Memorial Masons (NAMM) code of practice.
•Why can’t the PC pay for my own stonemason?
The fees negotiated are based on a large amount of work. Individual jobs will attract a higher cost and are, therefore, not part of this offer.
What we need you to do:
If you would like the parish council, via Stephen Hill Memorials, to reinstate your affected memorial as part of this offer, please email the clerk at clerk@bishopsitchington-pc.gov.uk. Please identify which memorial is to be repaired, stating that you accept this one-off restoration and that you will be responsible for any repairs in the future.
If you do not consent to Stephen Hill Memorials undertaking the work, please let us know by emailing the parish clerk at clerk@bishopsitchington-pc.gov.uk. Please note that DIY repairs are not acceptable. You will need to appoint your own choice of memorial mason who must follow to the NAMM code of practice.
Please send your replies to us by 29th August 2024. To ensure that the cemetery is a safe place for everyone, all repairs are to be completed by the end of 2024.
Please be aware that the council may retain your contact information. For further information on privacy and your data, please see the councils privacy policy - https://bishopsitchington-pc.gov.uk/privacy_policy.aspx
Thank you for your patience and understanding in this matter.
Bishop’s Itchington Parish Council.
Location
The cemetery is just outside the village on the B4451, heading towards Deppers Bridge. There is a layby at the entrance, but no other car parking available. Despite being close to the road, the cemetery is very peaceful and surrounded by countryside.
The cemetery has been serving the village of Bishops Itchington for just over 100 years and in its centenary year of 2005, a plaque was installed on the wall of the chapel to commemorate this.
Enquiries
Valerie Powell manages the cemetery on behalf of the parish council. Any enquires regarding interments or the erection of memorials should be directed to Valerie on 0779 241 8642 or email: cemeterymanager@bishopsitchington-pc.gov.uk.
Cemetery Rules
A copy of the rules can be obtained from the parish clerk on 01926 613902. Alternatively, they can be downloaded from this website.
Volunteers
We are very lucky to have a small but dedicated group of volunteers who carry out a range of different maintenance tasks not covered by our regular grounds maintenance contractor. This has included clearing weeds and brambles from graves which no longer have any family members to care for them, trmming of overhanging branches and the installation of new guttering on the tool shed along with a new water butt. We really appreciate their hard work which does much to enhance the appearance of the cemetery. If you would like to be involved, please contact the parish council office on 01926 613902.
Cemetery Rules
A copy of the cemetery rules can be downloaded from this page or a hard copy can be obtained from the parish council office. In addition to the cemetery rules, there is a separate policy regarding applications for burial in Bishop's Itchington Cemetery by non-residents of the parish.
Cemetery Fees
The current fees for burials and the erection of memorials were implemented from 1 April 2020 and can be downloaded from this page. Please note that fees may be doubled for non-residents of the parish in certain circumstances. Please contact the cemetery manager for more information.
Cemetery fees are set by the parish council and are very reasonable when compared to the fees charged by larger, municipal cemeteries. The fees go towards the cost of maintaining the cemetery which is a much valued local amenity. Maintenance of the cemetery costs several thousand pounds each year and includes regular grass mowing, tree and hedge trimming, maintenance of the buildings and refuse collection.