Grieving families who place their own personal tributes next to the graves of loved ones will have them removed, Caerphilly County Borough Council has said.
Last year the council faced opposition from families of loved ones buried at Bedwellty Cemetery over the way it managed its ‘Lawn Policy’ after items were removed from graves.
After a review, the council has said the policy is to stay and will continue to be applied in all council-run cemeteries.
The council has said the policy is a response to complaints about ‘grave personalisations’ which it says has increased in recent years.
Cllr Dave Poole, cabinet member for community and leisure services, said: “This is an extremely emotive issue, but we firmly believe that a cemetery should be a place of quiet reflection in well-maintained, dignified surroundings.
“We recognise there is opposition to our approach, so we want to address the matter in a way which will not cause offence or distress to any families.
“The council will soon recommence its programme of works to ensure there is a uniform approach in our ten municipal cemeteries across the area.”
Under the policy, items such as solar lights, wind chimes, ornaments and fencing are not allowed and and relatives will be asked to remove them.
The council has said that in addition to complaints from other mourners, grave personalisation causes a health and safety risk to staff and visitors because of trip hazards. It also claims they cause problems during grass cutting and maintenance of cemetery sites.
So are the council saying that the ground that somebody paid to be buried in does not belong to the family of the deceased? I'm not sure of the law on this but there's got to be legislation to cover it? I thought if you pay for a plot of any land be it for burial or a vegetable patch surely you dont need permission to put an ornament down? Also some cultures or individuals might put wind chimes down as a matter of spirituality; are the council proposing to deny that?
I'd quiet happily donate to a fund to test it in court. Once again the council are being authoritarian rather than seeing what would be the majority decision of what the people would be. Anyone in Cllr Dave Poole's area should consider this next time they vote for him.
This is, indeed, a very delicate and emotive subject, it is difficult to accept that, particularly, the Caerphilly council, as a corporate body, will deal with this issues in any more delicately than they are collectively dealing with other recent `internal` and publicly sensitive, secret, negotiations with a section of its own staff/employees on issues which effect them all.
As I understand it, and if that process is a benchmark of good consultations and engagement, with people effected by decisions of this Council, then there is not much hope that the Graves issue will be dealt any more delicately.
The point made by Allan, above, is a good one, for instance there is grave in the Gelligear Cemetery, a long established and very well, family maintained, grave, where the occupant, in life, was clearly very fond and dedicated to his pet dog, there is a cast model of his dog sitting wistfully, pensively sad, melancholy on top of the grave, not beside it, and presumably meant to protect his former master in death.
Who will be tasked with removing that model? it maybe a good idea to get the most senior officer of the Council, who we pay to ensure good governance of civic cemeteries to do so, and, perhaps the Cabinet Member responsible, Councillor Dave Poole, would like to accompany him in the task as a gesture of determination by the Caerphilly council to henceforth apply its ` delicate` and `Dignified`, officer inspired ` Policy`. If both are perfectly reasonable and compassionate individuals, which I am sure they must be else they have no part to play in public life, then I am sure they will carry out this task with the delicacy and dignity they say they are so fond to preserve, and when they do so I suggest they keep they heads down to avoid the public wrath.