SKELTON PARISH COUNCIL
Acting as the Burial Authority for the Parish of Skelton
RULES OF THE COUNCIL'S BURIAL GROUNDS AT SKELTON
Page 1
Interment
Notice of Interment is to be given to the Clerk of the Council at least 48 hours (exclusive of Saturday and Sunday) previous to any interment, except in special cases.
 | The notice must contain details of the deceased including:- |
o Full name,
o Age,
o Address.
o Date and place of death.
o The time and date of intended interment.
o Details of any officiating clergyman.
o Whether an interment or burial of cremated remains is required.
| No interment can take place before 9 a.m. or after sunset without special permission. |
Graves
·
All graves are to be single
ones, not less than 1.2M
deep.
·
The selection of the grave site,
in all cases, is subject to the approval of the Parish Council but wishes of
applicants will be met as far as may be deemed practicable.
·
Graves are to be dug by a
person approved by the Council.
Fees and charges
·
All fees and charges due to the
Council and the Registration Certificate are to be forwarded to the Clerk prior
to the date of interment.
| Fees and charges for matters relating to the
Burial Ground |
Inhabitants of Skelton
·
The person to be interred must
have been, immediately before death, an inhabitant of Skelton Parish. In the
case of a stillborn child, at least one parent must be a resident. This
regulation may only be waived under special circumstances and at the sole
discretion of the Parish Council.
·
In all cases where permission
is granted by the Parish Council for the interment of non-parishioners Double
Fees are to be charged.
·
Without the consent of the
Council no parishioner, being the owner of a grave purchased at parishioners
rate may use it for the burial of the body of a non-parishioner.
Headstones and Memorial Plaques
o
All headstones and memorial plaques
and the inscriptions are to be subject to approval of the Parish Council. A
drawing showing the form and dimensions of headstones and plaques and a copy of
any intended inscription
must be submitted to the Clerk for consideration with the appropriate fee.
o
Once approval has been given no
further appendages e.g. photographs etc.
may be placed thereon. Should any further inscription be required on the
headstone or memorial plaque a further application must be submitted to the
Clerk.
o No new memorial shall exceed a height of 1.00m.
o
In the Memorial Garden plaques must
be laid horizontally and not exceed 45Omm x 45Omm.
o
Headstones must be placed at the head
of the grave with the rear face in line with others
o
Only headstones and accompanying
flower vases will be permitted on grave spaces.
o
Vases to be within 6OOmm of the rear of the
headstone.
o Any item obstructing grass cutting will be removed.
o
Photographs, candles and other
appendages must not be placed on graves.
o
Artificial flowers are not to be
placed on any graves with the exception of Christmas and Remembrance Day wreaths, which will be permitted to remain on
graves for one calendar month.
o
Every grave and memorial must be kept in good order and repair by the
owner. The Parish Council reserve the right to maintain
any grave when it appears such maintenance is being neglected. If
such items are not repaired after due notice they may be removed by the Council.
. Where remedial work is carried out by the Council the associated cost will be
charged to the owner of the grave.
o
Graves maintained by owners,
relatives and friends must be without mounds or obstructions.
o No person, other than the owner or relatives of the owner or of the deceased person, shall be permitted to carry out the maintenance of any grave without the permission of the Parish Council.
·
Mats, boards and canvas are to be
used to preserve the grass.
· As from 1st January 2003 all future graves will be maintained as lawned areas.
Memorial Plants
o No planting of flowers, trees, shrubs or bushes of any kind are permitted on the Memorial Garden plots or on any grave.
o Should any relative of a deceased person wish to plant a rose bush in the memorial garden prior written application must be made to the Clerk of the Council.
Construction details
o Every memorial must withstand a minimum pull/push force of 70kg. Applied at its apex.
o For UPRIGHT MEMORIALS CONSISTING OF A PLATE SET DIRECTLY INTO THE GROUND (i.e. where they are not fixed on to a memorial base) the amount of memorial plate below ground level must be the equivalent of at least 25% of that above ground level. These memorials shall be either set securely into a concrete or hard stone shoe, or doweled direct onto a concrete or hard stone foundation slab of at least 75mm thickness. Where concrete blocks are used underground they shall conform to the relevant British Standard.
o LAWN MEMORIALS must have a foundation of either, a reinforced concrete of hydraulically pressed slab which must always be erected in conjunction with a suitable ground support system. The slab must have a plan size larger than the memorial base, be a minimum of 75mm thick and have a minimum depth back to front of 375mm or, two concrete pillars with compressed backfill in between. Each pillar must be a minimum of 400mm high, 212mm wide and 375mm deep (back to front).
o The memorial must be fixed to the foundations by solid stainless steel or fully galvanized dowels. Dowels must be of minimum 16 mm diameter and have at least 75mm in the memorial base and 75mm in the foundations.
o All component parts of a lawn memorial (base, plate etc.) must be fixed together by solid stainless steel or fully galvanized dowels. Dowels must be of minimum 16 mm diameter and have at least 75mm in each part of the memorial.
Register of Burials
o A register of the burials and interment of cremated remains will be kept by the Council and at all reasonable times searches may be made and certified extracts obtained upon application to the Clerk and payment of the necessary fee.
Damage or injury
o The Parish Council does not hold itself responsible or liable in any way for any damage or injury, which may be caused, to or by any memorials, which may be placed or erected, in the Burial Ground. General
o In case any difficulty shall arise which is not provided for by these Regulations the same shall be referred to and settled by the Parish Council and the Parish Council reserves the right to make any alterations or amendments to the foregoing rules and regulations as they may deem necessary.
The above rules and regulations were decided and resolved at a meeting of Skelton Parish Council on 14th January 2003.
Under Article 18 (1) of the Local Authorities Cemeteries Order 1977 No,2O4 it is an offence punishable with a fine to:
(a) willfully create any disturbance in a cemetery
(b) commit any nuisance in a cemetery
(c) willfully interfere with any burial taking place in a cemetery
(d) willfully interfere with any grave or vault, any tombstone or other memorial or any flowers
or plants
(e) play at any game or sport in a cemetery