We want our cemeteries to be places of peace and quiet reflection and work hard to keep them in good condition. We also have a duty to make sure they are safe, and therefore carry out a rolling programme of inspections
How it works
Inspections are required by the Health and Safety Executive.
Our inspections are carried out with care and consideration. If we have concerns about a memorial or headstone and feel that it poses a risk of causing injury, we will take immediate action to make it safe.
What we'll do
We will place warning tape around the memorial or headstone with some explanatory information and, if necessary, we will carefully lay the memorial flat to avoid the risk of it falling and causing injury.
Our action is only intended as a temporary measure and we appreciate owners of memorials and head stones will wish to have the memorial reinstated as quickly as possible.
If your headstone has been laid down please contact an accredited stone mason who will be able to carry out the work to make the memorial permanently safe and to reinstate it for you.
Our inspection programme
Inspections are undertaken on a five year rolling basis, with all memorials inspected during this timeframe. Ones deemed to be high risk will be inspected on a more frequent basis dependent on their risk profile.
Notices will be placed at the entrance to the cemeteries for at least one month prior to the commencement of inspections.
View the GOV.UK: Managing the safety of Burial Grounds Memorials (PDF, 153KB)