Newcastle City Council are beginning a series of safety inspections on 10 different cemeteries across the city, with £150,000 being allocated to fund the work.
The council has a duty of care to ensure that cemeteries are safe places to visit and work, so these inspections need to take place on a regular basis to ensure that this is the case.
The cemeteries that will be inspected by the council are the following:
- 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
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Staff will be visually inspecting gravestones that are over 2ft tall to ensure they are of a good condition and not defective. They will also be carrying out push tests to check how secure they are.
If there are headstones that are in need of repair, wooden stakes will be put in place to keep them stable temporarily. There will then be a notice placed on the gravestone to inform the public of this, asking the plot holder to contact the Council's bereavement service.
It is then the plot holder's responsibility to arrange repair of the memorial, by a registered mason. Any headstones that are of immediate risk will be cordoned off or carefully laid down flat on the grave.
Cllr Paula Maines has spoken about this issue, explaining why it is so important that these inspections take place.
“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.”
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