Grave Memorials

Grave Memorials

Cemetery Memorial Inspections Programme – Frequently Asked Questions

In June 2023, Newcastle City Council started a programme of work to test the stability of all memorials, including those up to 2ft.

Inspections will be carried out at the following cemeteries: Jesmond Old Cemetery, Jesmond Road; All Saints Cemetery, Jesmond Road; Byker and Heaton Cemetery, Benton Road; Elswick / St Johns Cemetery, St Johns Road; Hollywood Cemetery, Hollywood Avenue; Lemington Cemetery, Union Hall Road; North Gosforth Cemetery, Coach Lane; St Andrews Cemetery, Tankerville Terrace; St Nicholas Cemetery, Nuns Moor Road; West Road Cemetery, West Road.

Why are the inspections taking place?

The safety checks are part of a legal requirement under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The Council has a duty of care to ensure all its cemeteries are safe environments for anyone to visit. Newcastle City Council is not alone in carrying out this work and such inspections will be conducted at cemeteries across the country.

What is the inspection process?

Trained staff will complete a visual inspection followed by a hand test to check stability. Bereavement Services will retain the details of the inspections. We want to reassure residents that this work is done with the greatest respect and sensitivity and we never want to upset or cause any distress to families.

What will happen if a memorial is unsafe?

If any memorial needs attention, the staff may complete any of the following actions:

• Cordon the memorial until a more detailed assessment can be organised.
• Staff will use a stake with strong banding to hold the memorial in place. This is a temporary measure for up to 18 months.
• The team will push the memorial vertically in-situ, to a more stable depth.
• The staff will move the memorial lying flat on the relevant grave with the inscription facing up.

Newcastle City Council will not complete or instruct any third-party repairs to memorials. Bereavement Services staff will make every effort to contact the grave owner, if current details are available, to inform them of the actions taken and the next steps.

What has the Council done to inform visitors and grave owners?

Details of the inspection programme were publicised in the media and on the Council’s website and social media pages, with notices also erected in cemeteries across the city in advance of any inspections taking place.

Who is responsible for the repairs?

It is the responsibility of the grave owner to arrange suitable repairs. We recommend that you contact a stone mason as soon as possible to arrange for it to be fixed and made safe.

Who can fix a memorial?

It is only stone masons registered to work in the council’s cemeteries that are permitted to complete memorial works. You can find the registered list here.

How much does it cost to repair a memorial?

This very much depends on the requirements. This is normally negotiated between the grave owner and a stone mason of your choice.

Does the Council financially benefit from the repair work?

No, the Council does not financially benefit from this work in any way. All the Council requires is an application to fix the memorial which must be submitted by a stone mason who is registered to work in the city’s cemeteries.

How can you help?

If you own a memorial headstone, please write to Bereavement Services with your contact details if the information has changed. Please include the details for the grave.

For further information:

Write to: Bereavement Services, Newcastle City Council, Civic Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8QH 
Email: bereavementservices@newcastle.gov.uk
Phone: 0191 2116941 (Monday to Friday from 9am to 3pm)
 

Memorial Work

The installation of memorials is carefully controlled by the council to ensure that:
•    work is carried out with the authority of the person who purchased the exclusive rights to the grave;
•    all memorials are erected on the correct grave safely, and in accordance with recommended codes of practice as specified.

For safety purposes we only allow monumental masons registered with Bereavement Services to carry out memorial work within our cemeteries. Applications for acceptance onto this register must be made to the cemeteries officer by email: bereavementservices@newcastle.gov.uk.   Applicants must have public liability insurance and abide by council regulations.

Memorial Application

Before any memorial is erected, the selected memorial mason must submit an application to the Bereavement Services office. The following information is required:

• the cemetery and grave reference
• the name and address of the mason who will carry out the work;
• the details of the material and measurements of the memorial;
• the wording of the inscription and a diagram of the proposed memorial;
• the full name and address of the registered grave purchaser, and their signature giving permission for the work to be done.

The council reserves the right to refuse an application for a memorial or inscription that is considered unsuitable.

Memorials may only be brought into the cemeteries and work carried out in connection with the erection of those memorials from 8am to 3.30pm, Monday to Friday. All masons must book an appointment by emailing bereavementservices@newcastle.gov.uk with the details of the permit. A response will be emailed to confirm the works can go ahead.

Maintenance of Memorials

We ask that all registered grave owners be aware that it is their responsibility to keep memorials in a good, safe condition.

The council cannot accept liability for the making good of memorials which collapse, or those which are damaged by the fall of adjacent memorials. Please be aware that any emergency work that is necessary to make a memorial safe will be recharged to the registered grave owner. Please also be aware that the council has the right to lay flat any memorial that is deemed to be dangerous.

Memorials on Unpurchased Graves

Headstones and kerb sets are not permitted on unpurchased graves. It is possible, however, to have a small vase cemented on the grave, or a tablet vase set. These must be applied for in the normal way outlined above. Please note that the council may remove the memorial if the grave is to be used again after the 14-year period.
 

Register of Approved Memorial Masons