Memorial safety testing to begin in July Memorial safety testing in two North Devon cemeteries begins next month. Throughout July, North Devon Council will be checking the stability and condition of headstones at Ilfracombes Marlborough Road cemetery and Bear Street cemetery in Barnstaple. This is to ensure the safety of visitors to the cemeteries. The oldest memorials in Bear Street Cemetery are over 150 years old, with some in Marlborough Road now approaching one hundred. The effects of time and natural movement of the ground mean that some memorials may be unstable and in danger of toppling over. It is also believed that some of the more recent memorials, from the 1960s onwards, may have been fitted without firm enough foundations. Executive Member for parks and open spaces, Councillor Derrick Spear, says: Our cemeteries are very special places, which we want to keep safe and fitting for all those who visit. We want to make sure that family members and visitors to the cemeteries understand how important this testing is, both to them and other visitors. Families can choose to attend when we test their memorial and, if we have their details, we will try and contact them if their memorial fails the safety test and requires attention. We know how treasured graves and headstones are and will treat all memorials with the utmost respect. The testing will be carried out by staff trained by the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management. They will be working their way discreetly around the two sites and will be sensitive to the needs of families visiting graves and memorials. A note will be placed on all unstable memorials and families will be contacted where possible. In some cases the council may have to cordon off the memorial with tape or temporarily support it to remove any immediate danger. Signs will be put up in both cemeteries to explain the work and further information is available on the councils website northdevon.gov.uk/cemeteries. Families can request to be present when their memorial is tested by contacting the councils Cemeteries Officer on 01271 345431 or emailing [email protected].
Posted on: Tue, 03 Jun 2014 08:21:17 +0000
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