CEMETERY COMMITTEE

Minutes of the meeting of the Cemetery Committee held at 7.30pm on Monday, 30 September 2002 in The Institute. Councillor Fisk, Chair, presided over Councillor Auger and the clerk. No members of the public were present.

009 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE were received from Councillor Lewis.

010 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST none.

011 MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING

The clerk confirmed that the minutes of the previous meeting held on 24 July 2002 had been presented to the full Council meeting held on 25 July 2002 and subsequently adopted and signed as a true and correct record at the meeting held on 29 August 2002. The minutes were therefore taken as read and adopted.

012 MATTERS ARISING NOT DEALT WITH ELSEWHERE ON THE AGENDA

The clerk drew members’ attention to minute 007 concerning the placing of additional flower containers and vases on graves and the planting of grave surfaces in section D. Having checked burial documentation and minutes relating to the opening and operation of this section, it had been found that although permission must be sought for memorials, at no time had the Council made it clear that the grave surfaces were to be purely grass and headstone only. The clerk had undertaken an audit of the area and it was found there were less than 20% of graves either planted or with an additional vase/container and that the vast majority were well kept. It was agreed to recommend that in view of these findings:

·    No action is taken in respect of graves already planted provided that they are kept in good order with the Council reserving the right to clear and seed any grave surface not, in its opinion, kept in good order.
·    To allow the remaining grave spaces in section D to fall under this arrangement for the sake of consistency.
·    The Council should consider whether to request relatives to seek retrospective approval for the additional vases/plant containers, whether a fee should be levied and if so, the amount.
·    To devise and strictly enforce new regulations concerning grave surfaces and additional memorials when the next section of the cemetery is opened.

013 CORRESPONDENCE none received.

014 TO CONSIDER DESIGNS FOR THE BMX STYLE HUMPS IN ADJOINING PLAY AREA

Cllr Auger advised members that the designs produced by local boys to build a BMX area were too extensive in both size and number to be reasonably accommodated from the excess soil available on the site. As the Council had given the Committee delegated powers to deal with this matter it was resolved that the request be regretfully declined on this basis.

015 BURIAL FEES

Members undertook the annual review of burial fees and noted that there had not been an increase since 1999. In view of the increasing costs of maintenance and the need to prepare for the next portion of burial space it was agreed to recommend that the fees be reviewed and charged as per the attached schedule. No individual fee has been recommended for increase by more than 25% with some seeing no increase at all. It was further agreed to recommend that in future the clerk obtains a general receipt book to which the applicable scale of fees can be attached rather than have a pre-printed fee scale receipt book which is expensive and can soon fall out of date.


016 BUDGET 2003/04

Members were reminded that the budget for the next financial year needed to be agreed before the end of December. Consideration to clearing the boundary of the old cemetery near the fence with Burghley Close was given but it was felt could be undertaken using this year’s under-spend. A decision was deferred to a future meeting.

017 RISK MANAGEMENT REVIEW OF POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

The clerk reported that the Committee needed to review Health & Safety issues in the cemetery and other policies and procedures on a regular basis. In the first instance, the condition of headstones needed to be addressed in the light of an accident in a Harrogate cemetery last year. The Parish Council has no responsibility for upkeep and maintenance of headstones, this rests with relatives, but it does have a duty of care to other users of the area and as such must ensure that safety aspects are considered. The clerk had obtained preliminary advice from South Kesteven District Council and reported that a survey of all headstones should be undertaken to ascertain their condition and those considered to constitute a risk laid flat. Having noted that there were sufficient funds in this year’s budget it was agreed to recommend that:

1.    Further advice is sought from South Kesteven District Council concerning drafting of a specification of works.
2.    Quotes are requested for the works from competent local contractors.
3.    The Cemetery Committee is delegated responsibility for reviewing the quotes and making an order as it sees fit.
4.    The Council considers whether repayment of directly attributed costs should be sought from the individual headstone owners, where these can be identified.

018 DATE OF NEXT MEETING - to be advised in due course.

The meeting closed at 8.15pm.

DEEPING ST JAMES BURIAL AUTHORITY
SCALES OF FEES
(Effective from 1 November 2002)

ALL CHARGES ARE EXCLUSIVE OF LABOUR.

CATEGORY OF FEE	£
1a 1b	EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS OF BURIAL in an earthen grave 9 feet by 4 feet (category 1a). EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS OF INTERMENT OF CREMATED REMAINS in an earthen grave 4 feet by 4 feet (category 1b). * Note restrictions on size of headstone in section 3 below.	50.00 25.00
2a	INTERMENTS IN GRAVES FOR WHICH EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS OF BURIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED: ·    Stillborn child or person whose age at the time of death did not exceed one month. ·    A person whose age at the time of death exceeded one month but did not exceed 12 years. ·    A person whose age at the time of death exceeded 12 years. ·    For the cremated remains of any child or person in: - Burial grave category (1a) refer to scale of fees for burial - Burial grave category (1a) purchased before 1 October 2001 - Cremated remains grave category (1b)	10.00 35.00 50.00 25.00 25.00
2b	INTERMENTS IN GRAVES FOR WHICH EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS OF BURIAL HAS NOT BEEN GRANTED: ·    Stillborn child or person whose age at the time of death did not exceed one month. ·    A person whose age at the time of death exceeded one month but did not exceed 12 years. ·    A person whose age at the time of death exceeded 12 years. ·    For the cremated remains of any child or person in an earthen: - Burial grave 9’ x 4’ refer to scale of fees for burial - Cremated remains grave 4’ x 4’	6.00 25.00 35.00 25.00
3	MONUMENTS, GRAVESTONES AND MONUMENTAL INSCRIPTIONS For the right to erect or place on grave category (1a): ·    A headstone not exceeding 2’ 6 in height ·    A footstone not exceeding 2’ in height (sections A, B & C only) ·    Kerbstones or border stones enclosing a space (sections A, B & C only): - not exceeding 7 feet by 3 feet - enclosing an area in excess of 7 feet by 3 feet, each space of 7 feet by 3 feet ·    A monument in the form of a vase. ·    A monument in any other form. ·    Any additional inscription after the first on a gravestone or monument For the right to erect or place on grave category 1(b): ·    A flat stone tablet not exceeding 1’6 square and 3 in height. ·    Any additional inscription after the first on a flat, tablet stone. ·    No other type of headstone, monument or vase is permitted.	25.00 25.00 35.00 35.00 25.00 50.00 10.00 25.00 10.00

The foregoing fees, payments and sums will be doubled where the person to be interred or in respect of whom the right is granted is, or was, immediately before death, not an inhabitant or parishioner of Deeping St James, or in the case of a still-born child, neither of the parents is, or was at the time of interment an inhabitant of Deeping St James, unless evidence can be produced to the satisfaction of the Clerk that such person had been a habitant or parishioner during the immediately preceding ten years.

For further information on the above fees, or in connection with Deeping St James Cemetery please contact the Clerk at The Institute, 38 Church Street, Deeping St James, PE6 8HD telephone/fax number: (01778) 343266.