Bramley Burial Gardens - Regulations

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Parent Category: Legislation & Policies

Category: Burial Gardens

Last Updated on Wednesday, 13 November 2019 16:06

Published on Wednesday, 13 November 2019 16:06

Written by Parish Clerk

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UPDATE:  As of 16th October 2018, please read the notice at: Bramley Burial Ground – St James Church, Bramley 

The Parish Council is responsible for the burial gardens behind St James Church. The church are responsible for the closed churchyard. If you wish to inquire about the burial gardens please contact the Parish Clerk, 07810 692486, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

BRAMLEY BURIAL GARDENS

REGULATIONS 

Issued by Bramley Parish Council (hereinafter referred to as The Burial Authority) updated May 2013 

Regulations relating to formalities: 

1.       Notice of interment is to be given to the Clerk at least three clear days before the interment is to take place. No notice will be received on Sunday, Good Friday, Christmas Day or Public Bank Holidays.

2.       The certificate of registration of death of the person to be buried, or the Coroner’s Order where an inquest has been held, must be produced before the interment takes place.

3.       All fees and charges due to the Burial Authority must be paid to the Clerk on notice of an interment being given, or on notice of intention to construct any headstone, tablet, monument or memorial (hereinafter referred to as the memorial) or carry out any work in respect of which a fee is payable.

4.       The selection of the grave space is in all cases in the hands of the Burial Authority, or the Officer appointed by the Burial Authority.

5.       One body or casket shall be buried in a grave at one time, unless the bodies are those of members of the same family.

6.       No unwalled grave shall be re-opened within 14 years after the burial of a person above 12 years of age unless to bury another member of the same family, in which case a layer of earth not less than 6” thick shall be left undisturbed above the previously buried coffin or casket. If however, upon opening the grave, the soil is found to be offensive, such soil shall not be disturbed and in no case shall human remains be removed from the grave.

7.       No coffin shall be buried in any unwalled grave within 3 ft. of, nor any casket within 1 ft. 6 ins. of the ordinary level of the ground.

8.       Coffins of wood only shall be used in graves where the Exclusive Right of Burial is not purchased.

9.       Where a legal right to burial does not exist, a person who has lived in the village for at least 20 years may be interred in the Burial Ground, irrespective of the time that has elapsed since leaving the village. Where such an interment has been allowed the spouse of the deceased may also be interred in the Burial Ground. Interment will not be permitted otherwise except at the discretion of the Clerk and Chairman.

10.    There will be no reserved plots.

11.    The Burial Authority must approve all memorials and inscriptions. A copy of every inscription proposed and a drawing showing the form and dimensions of every memorial must be submitted to the Clerk for approval. No work is to proceed until a permit has been issued nor shall any memorial be removed or replaced without the consent of The Burial Authority.

12.    Grave memorials should not exceed 3 ft. in height and have a maximum base size of 27” x 15”.

13.    Vertical cremation memorials must not exceed 18” high and 18” wide and the base must not exceed 20” x 20”. Horizontal cremation memorials should not exceed 18” x 18” and must be laid flush with the turf.

14.    A casket of ashes may be interred in an existing grave space of a family member at the discretion of The Burial Authority, but an additional memorial may not be erected.

15.    No memorial will be allowed on any grave or cremation plot other than where an Exclusive Right of Burial has been granted.

16.    A register of burials in all sections of the ground will be maintained and searches may be made and certified extracts obtained on application to the Clerk.

17.    Owners of Exclusive Rights cannot transfer their rights to anyone without the approval of The Burial Authority and the consent in writing of the owners to any interment in a purchased grave must be left with the notice of burial.

18.    All interments should take place between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday to Friday inclusive, or on Saturday at the discretion of the Clerk. No interments will be permitted on Sundays, Good Friday, Christmas Day or public holidays.

19.    If any damage is caused by bringing in any materials or memorials, the person or persons causing the damage will be required to make it good,

20.    Where circumstances render it desirable to deviate from the above regulations, special application must be made to the Burial Authority through the Clerk.

Regulations relating to memorials, care and maintenance, and visitors:

21.    Where a small vase is the only memorial, it must not exceed 12” high, with a base of not more than 8” x 8”.

22.    Permanent vases, unless the only memorial, should be included in the headstone or cremation memorial.

23.    All memorials should be designed and placed to promote easy maintenance and mowing of grass. To facilitate this, the bases of all raised memorials and vases should be fixed to a foundation slab extending 3” all round and placed flush with the ground so that a mower can easily pass over it.

24.    Only one memorial will be permitted on each plot. Additional vases, containers or memorials of any kind whether permanent or temporary will not be allowed.

25.    No planting may be carried out on or around any plot without written permission from the Clerk and on the understanding that the applicant will maintain the area. The Burial Authority reserves the right to remove any such plants or shrubs if they are not kept in a tidy state.

26.    All memorials are to be kept in good order at the expense of the owners.

27.    The following will not be permitted: -

• Walled graves and vaults
• Artificial or glass wreaths or flowers
• Toys or ornaments, separate vases, separate pots not part of the main memorial
• Wire fencing around graves or cremation plots
• Mounds
• Kerbing around graves or cremation plots
• The removal of any turf after interment without written permission of The Burial Authority except to erect a memorial
• The erection of any memorial or planting of any description where the Exclusive of Burial has not been granted
• Memorials other than of stone
• Scattering of ashes in any part of the Burial Ground 

28.    All visitors must keep to the paths and refrain from touching the trees, shrubs and flowers and observe proper decorum in all respects.

29.    All dogs must be kept on leads and must not be allowed to foul the gardens. If fouling occurs the owner must clear up and dispose of the fouling in a litter bin.

30.    Children are not permitted into the Burial Ground unless in the care of a responsible adult.

Offences in the burial ground

No person shall:

• Wilfully destroy or injure any building or fence or destroy or injure any tree, shrub or flower
• Put up any bill or poster
• Destroy, injure or deface any memorial or inscription, do any other wilful damage or commit any nuisance within the ground
• Play any game or sport or discharge firearms, save at a military funeral, in the Burial Ground
• Wilfully or unlawfully disturb any persons assembled therein for the purpose of burying any body or cremated remains

 Any person committing any of the above offences shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £100.

The Authority for these Burial Gardens is: Bramley Parish Council

Email: 07810 692486, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., website: bramleypc.co.uk 

St James Church is the Authority for the closed yard adjacent to the Church.