Notice is hereby given that High Peak Borough Council will be carrying out safety checks to all memorials within the following cemeteries:
If you are a grave or memorial owner you have a duty of care to maintain the memorial safely and abide by the cemetery regulations.
If your memorial shows any signs of instability whatsoever (unsteadiness, lean, eroded or loose cement joints, eroded, loose or poor foundation etc.) and fails the calibrated 35kg safety test, or has not been adequately maintained, warning notices and memorial supports will be placed on the memorial. This will allow any grave deed owners and those responsible for the upkeep of memorials to contact the Council and to arrange for professional repairs to be carried out by a professional memorial stonemason to NAMM standards. It is not the responsibility of the Council to maintain memorials.
If a notice is placed on your memorial you should contact us immediately. Do not approach the memorial or tamper with the memorial support.
We will also place notices in the local press informing grave / memorial owners of any unsafe memorials.
We have a responsibility to maintain safe cemeteries, therefore we will carry out safety work to any unstable memorials in due course. This may involve removing or laying flat memorials that are unstable or re-erecting the memorial in a more stable, permanent fashion (i.e. not as it was originally erected).
We accept no responsibility if work is carried out to a memorial that is not to the liking of the grave owner, as ample warning has been given of the impending work. The safety work will be carried out to ensure that the cemetery remains a safe and pleasant place to visit.
Any grave owners or persons responsible for the upkeep of a memorial should contact us on 0845 129 77 77 or 01298 28400, especially if you are aware that your memorial is over ten years old or unstable, as we may not have your present contact details.
Please be aware that we are committed to providing an excellent cemetery service and that this work is necessary to ensure the safety of all visitors to our cemeteries.