REGULATIONS FOR BEREAVED FAMILIES, FUNERAL DIRECTORS & MEMORIAL MASONS
Plot Reservations
1. No lawn graves and cremation plots may be purchased in advance.
Exclusive Right of Burial
2. The Grant of Exclusive Right of Burial must be purchased at or before the time of the first interment from the Burial Authority. The Exclusive Right of Burial is granted for a period not exceeding 80 years from the first internment or date of purchase, whichever is sooner.
3. The Exclusive Right of Burial Grant must be produced to the Burial Authority when arranging the initial opening or any subsequent re-openings of the associated grave.
4. If the Exclusive Right of Burial Grant cannot be produced at the time of the initial or any subsequent interments, the owner of such a grant or his/her legal representative must produce a completed form of formal declaration to the Burial Authority.
5. The owner of the Exclusive Right of Burial in a grave space shall not dispose of such right without the consent of the Burial Authority. All transfer of such rights shall be prepared by the Burial Authority at the expense of the applicant.
6. Where the Exclusive Right of Burial in a grave space is not purchased prior to or at the time of burial, the Exclusive Right shall remain with the Burial Authority.
Memorials
7. A Grant of Right to Erect and Maintain a Memorial may be purchased with the Exclusive Right of Burial and must be purchased prior to erection, modification or replacement of a memorial.
8. A Right to Erect and Maintain a Memorial may be granted for a period of not exceeding 30 years.
9. No memorial shall be erected, modified or replaced without prior consent of the Burial Authority. An application form for this purpose is available from the Burial Authority and must be submitted together with any fee payable for prior approval.
10. All lawn grave memorials are to be of a headstone and base type. Maximum headstone not exceeding 2 ft 10ins in overall height which must be fixed on a pre-cast base (either 3’ x 1’6” or 3’ x 1’4”). No footstones, flat stones, kerbstones, cover slabs, ledgers, chippings, plants, glass or plastic vases, other personal effects or bare soil will be permitted. Any memorial vases, maximum size 8” x 8” x 8” to be fixed at head of the grave only. Cremated remains grave memorials should be of a tablet type laid on concrete slabs provided. Maximum overall size being 15” X 9”.
11. All memorials must comply with British Standard 8415 and the National Association of Memorial Masons (NAMM) Code of Practice.
12. Memorials are to be kept in repair by the families/relatives. Where relations no longer exist, the Burial Authority may repair or remove memorials in the interest of safety.
The Burial Authority reserves the right to remove any items which do not comply with the above restrictions, without notice.
Funeral Directors
13. Notice of interment along with the appropriate fee must be submitted to the Parish Clerk at least three clear working days prior to any interment, excluding weekends and bank holidays.
14. A Registrar’s Certificate for Disposal/Coroner’s Order for Burial/Crematory Certificate/Certificate of Non-Liability to Register must be provided prior to burial.
15. The size of all lawn graves shall be 2.44m in length. All lawn graves should be dug to a width that will allow 1.22m (4ft) between the centre of the new grave headstone and the centre of the grave headstone/s adjoining it. All graves should be dug to a double depth. No coffin is to be buried within 91.44cm (3’) of ground level. All graves to be dug by persons approved by the Burial Authority. For re-opened graves 15.24cm (6”) of soil to be left between coffins.
16. All graves are to be left such that after settlement they will become inherently flat and the turf re-laid.
17. Any excess earth/spoil excavated from graves is to be removed from the Cemetery unless otherwise directed by the Burial Authority.