City Councillor at the Environment and Transport Policy Team yesterday gave their approval to a pilot scheme being introduced to help make safe and tidy up specific areas of two city cemeteries following a number of complaints by members of the public last year.

The pilot scheme is to be launched at the London Road and St Paul’s cemetery in the New Year to remove unsafe, neglected or dilapidated memorial. The aim of this work – which will concentrate on two designated areas of land – is to improve the overall presentation and look of the area and to help reduce the grass and general maintenance problems experienced last year.

Speaking about the New Memorial Enhancement and Safety Scheme, Gary Marshall, Head of Bereavement Service said,

"We did have a number of problems last year coping with the additional maintenance of the city's cemeteries following a very wet summer. We recognise that the cemetery grounds themselves need to look attractive when people come to visit their loved ones and that it can be distressing if they look unkept. One of the things Councillors noticed when they toured the city cemeteries last year was the number of neglected and unsafe memorials that were extremely difficult for the staff to maintain. One of the results of this trip is to introduce the two pilot schemes and start to make an improvement to the future look of the cemeteries. We hope that people will soon be able to see a clear difference on these areas and perhaps look to extend the scheme further after the initial pilot period."

Councillor John McNicholas, who Chairs the Policy Team said,

"This is an extremely sensitive service and it is important that people feel that their loved ones are resting in a place, which is well cared for and attractive to visit. I do feel that this is a very practical first step in helping to improve the appearance of our cemeteries and want to assure anyone with any concerns about the new scheme that people will be fully consulted before any dangerous or unkept memorial is touched."

NOTES

Coventry is defined as a burial authority, which provides facilities for the burial of the dead in accordance with the provisions on the Local Authorities Cemeteries Order 1977. Under this order local authorities are allowed to take away any vault, tombstone or memorial so as to remove danger to visitors to the cemetery.

• Under schedule 3 the following steps must be taken before any memorial is considered for removal.