Enforcement Action On Hold

Rules about the size, type and nature of memorials on graves at Preston Cemeteries are being reviewed.



The review follows public concern expressed about the enforcement of existing rules at the Cemeteries - that limit the size and nature of memorials and headstones.
As such, the Council has put a temporary halt to enforcement action and will consult with the public about rules covering Preston Cemeteries.
Calling for this review, Councillor John Swindells, Deputy Leader of Preston City Council said:
There are rules at the Cemeteries and these are very important. This is a place where people pay their respects, so the Cemeteries have to be well maintained and as much is possible, a welcoming place for people to visit.
We must provide a safe environment for the public and when digging graves, so both the old and new Cemeteries are laid out in a lawned arrangement with grass covering graves, all of which is maintained by the council. And we are committed to a high quality of maintenance at the Cemeteries.
I have though been contacted by a number of people who were concerned that the Council would immediately remove memorials from their loved one’s graves. This was never the case, but it has made me realise we do need to do more to understand the situation at the Cemeteries.
What are the options? What are the alternatives? What is it that people want at the Cemeteries? What are the costs and, as a council, do we have the funding and resources to provide this? All these are issues we need to resolve and I simply don’t think we are there just yet.
So there will be no enforcement action for current memorials, until we have carried out this review and importantly, had full public consultation on what people want and expect at Preston’s Cemeteries.
As always, the council will try to respond to the local community. Though, the old adage ‘you can never please all the people all the time’ is very true. We want to work in a reasonable and sensible way. One that meets the needs of local people but also preserves the Cemeteries for the next 100 years and more.