2.0.
Rules and Regulations For The Cemeteries
Arrangements
for a burial
service
2.1.
Reservations for burial services may be made by telephone during office hours, in writing, or at Northern
Cemetery by the computerised remote booking facility for a new grave, where the current grave owner
is the applicant or where the current grave owner is the deceased. Reservations will be regarded as
provisional until formal notice required by paragraphs 2.2 or 2.3 has been received.
N.B.
the remote booking facility is not to be used unless the criteria is met.
2.2.
Notice of burial is given when all forms and certificates required to fulfill statutory requirements,
and those required by the Council, are received at the appropriate Cemetery Office no later than two
full working days before the proposed date of the funeral.
N.B.
Forms
provided, or approved, by the Council must be used.
2.3.
For the burial
of a stillborn child a Certificate in accordance with the Births & Deaths Registration Act 1953
must be delivered to the appropriate cemetery office.
General
2.4.
The Council will not accept responsibility for any delay or misunderstanding which may occur if instructions
are given verbally or by telephone - Neither will the Council accept responsibility for any documents
lost or delayed by the Post Office.
Documents sent by Fax
or Telex will
only be accepted as temporary notification(s) and must be confirmed by the submission of originals.
2.5.
If the Registrar's Certificate for Disposal, or the Coroner's Order, is mislaid or lost, a declaration
to the satisfaction of the Superintendent must be made by the person procuring the disposal of the body.
The original certificate or duplicate copy issued by the Registrar of Births and Deaths, or the Coroner,
must be produced as soon as possible after the signing of the declaration.
2.6.
At Southern Cemetery the Superintendent will be responsible for providing an organist or playing recorded
music when requested, where a pre-recorded tape or compact disc for a particular service is required
at Southern Cemetery and Crematorium, it must be delivered to the Cemetery office on a working day not
less than 24 hours before the funeral is to take place with the name of the deceased and the date and
time of service clearly and legibly marked on the cassette or case. Similarly, at least 48 hours notice
must be given to the organist if a piece of music not in the normal repertoire is requested, and the
musical score delivered to the cemetery office. At Northern Cemetery if the services of an organist
are required the Rota Organist must be contacted by the Funeral Director or person(s) arranging the
funeral.
2.7. The responsibility for making the necessary
arrangements
for the attendance of priests, ministers, or other persons to officiate at a service rests upon the
Funeral director or the person(s) arranging the burial.
2.8.
The time
fixed for a funeral must be that when the procession is to arrive at the Cemetery, and it is requested
that the time be strictly adhered to in order to prevent inconvenience and one funeral interfering with
another. In the event of a funeral arriving late the cortege must wait as and where directed by the
Superintendent, and the service will take place as soon as possible thereafter at the direction of the
Superintendent.
2.9. In the case of a public or military
funeral, or
one at which an exceptional number of persons may be expected, notice must be given at the time of booking.
2.10.
The Funeral Director or person(s) arranging the funeral is responsible for the provision of sufficient
bearers to convey the coffin reverently from the hearse to the catafalque and/or the graveside.
2.11.
Only one funeral will be allowed in the Cemetery or Crematorium Chapel at any one time unless prior
permission for alternative arrangements is obtained from the Superintendent.
2.12.
The time allowed for a service in the Cemetery or Crematorium Chapel shall not exceed 20 minutes unless
prior approval for a longer period has been obtained from the Superintendent.
2.13.
If offensive odours or liquids issue from any coffin brought for burial the Superintendent may refuse
the coffin being taken into the Cemetery Chapel. The use of a cemetery chapel for a service for a person
having died from a notifiable disease will be at the discretion of the Superintendent.
2.14.
No coffin shall be opened in any Cemetery Chapel for any purpose whatsoever.
2.15.
All fees and charges shall be paid at the Cemetery Office. The fees and charges for any burial shall
be paid at the time of giving notice of booking, and all other fees shall be paid before the work to
which they relate is started. These requirements do not apply to those who pay by account.
2.16
The fees charged by the Council include everything connected with the specified items in respect of
which an official receipt is given. No person employed by or on behalf of the Council is allowed to
receive any gratuity.
2.17. No body shall be buried, or cremated
remains
interred or scattered over any grave or vault in which an Exclusive Right of Burial exists, unless the
owner has given express approval in writing or the deceased is the current owner. In the event of the
owner being pre-deceased an affidavit must accompany the Notice of Interment and a form of indemnity
completed and submitted where a Deed of Grant cannot be provided.
2.18.
The Council reserves the right to delay or cancel any interment where, in its opinion, ownership of
the Exclusive Right of Burial is disputed.
2.19. The selection
of any
grave space shall be subject to the approval of the Superintendent and consistent with the general plan
of the Cemetery.
2.20. The location/position of any non-private
graves
shall be determined by the Superintendent.
2.21. The Council
reserves
the right to retain any grave space(s) for its own purposes.
2.22.
A
plan of the cemetery showing the position and number of each grave space is kept in the appropriate
Cemetery office. At Northern and Southern Cemeteries the plan is available for inspection during office
hours; at Church, General and Basford Cemeteries plans may be inspected by appointment.
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3.0.
Grant of Exclusive Right of Burial
Whilst
ownership
of an Exclusive
Right of Burial for a grave does not give any ownership whatsoever in respect of actual land, it does
give the owner of the Deed the right to:-
- be buried
in that grave
- authorise
further burial(s) in that grave (where space is available), or the interment or scattering of cremated
remains in or over that grave
- erect or place a memorial
on that grave subject to the Rules and Regulations of the City Council relating to memorialisation
- have
inscriptions/additional inscriptions placed on a memorial on that grave subject to the Rules and Regulations
of the City Council relating to this matter
Possession of a Deed does not necessarily
give the person in possession ownership of Exclusive Right of Burial. Where the owner is deceased, subsequent
ownership depends upon whether or not the deceased person left a valid Will. The law concerning this
matter can be very complex and it is strongly advised that a Solicitor be consulted to establish new
ownership. Ownership of a Deed may also be transferred or assigned by use of a form (Declaration, Indemnity
and Application in respect of the transfer or Assignment of an Exclusive Right of Burial) obtainable
from a Cemetery Officer
NB. The Deed of Exclusive Right
of Burial, like
any other Deed, is an important document and should be kept in a safe place.
3.1.
On the purchase of the Exclusive Right of Burial in a grave, a Deed of Grant shall be issued to the
purchaser whose name shall be registered.
N.B. The parents
of children
or stillborn babies buried in the Babies Section at Northern or Southern Cemetery may not purchase the
Exclusive Right of Burial.
3.2. The Exclusive Right of Burial
shall extend
for 30 years from the date of purchase. Rights may be extended for further periods of 30 years on payment
of the fee then applicable.
3.3. The transfer or assignment
of a Right
of Burial in a grave must be notified to the Superintendent who will enter the transfer in the Register
of Grants maintained upon the production of the Deed.
3.4.
Where no interment
has taken place in a purchased grave the Council may agree to repurchase the grave. In such cases the
Council will pay the original purchase price.
3.5. Notice
for the interment
or strewing of cremated remains must be accompanied by the Certificate issued by the Crematorium where
the cremation took place.
3.6. Persons arranging for a burial
in a non-private
grave acquire no rights other than that of making a single interment in a grave.
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4.0.
Conduct in Cemeteries
4.1. All visitors must
conduct themselves
in a
quiet and orderly manner, and no persons showing the effects of excess alcohol or drug abuse will be
allowed within the Cemetery, Crematorium or grounds. The Superintendent has full power to exclude or
remove any member of the public at his discretion.
4.2. Under
the provisions
of the Local Authorities Cemeteries Order 1977, it is an offence for a person to wilfully:- create
any disturbance in a Cemetery;
- Commit
any nuisance in
a Cemetery;
- Interfere with any burial taking place in
a Cemetery;
- Interfere with any grave or vault, any tombstone
or other memorial, or any flowers or plants in any such manner;
- Play
at any game or sport in a Cemetery;
- Enter or remain in
a Cemetery when it is closed to the public, unless authorised by the Council to do so.
Persons
who contravene these provisions shall be liable, upon conviction, to a fine not exceeding £100.
4.3.
Vehicles must not exceed 10 mph in Cemetery grounds and must park where indicated by the Superintendent
who shall have power to exclude any vehicle which is considered unsuitable.
4.4.
Smoking is strictly prohibited in Cemetery or Crematorium buildings. Visitors to Cemeteries are requested
to refrain from smoking near to where a funeral or religious service is taking place in the grounds
and to dispose of cigarette ends in a proper manner.
4.5.
No dogs, except
Registered Assistance dogs, may be taken into or allowed to enter the Cemetery or Crematorium grounds.
4.6.
No person shall canvass or solicit orders within the cemetery unless the prior approval of the Council
is obtained.
4.7. No demonstrations of any kind, nor religious
services
other than the service at the time of interment or cremation shall be held without the prior consent
of the Superintendent. No musical instrument or other sound producing device will be allowed except
as an integral part of a funeral service or an event approved by the Superintendent.
4.8.
The permission of the Superintendent shall be obtained before photographing any objects in the Cemetery,
Crematorium or grounds.
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5.0.
Burials
5.1. Burials shall not normally take
place before 9.00
am or
after 3.30 pm from Monday to Thursday, or before 9.00 am or after 2.30 pm on Fridays - Burials are not
permitted on Saturdays, Sundays or Bank Holidays except by the prior and express permission of the Superintendent.
5.2. The excavation for all graves and vaults shall be carried
out by
staff employed by or on behalf of the Council, and no grave or vault shall be excavated beyond such
a depth as the Council may determine.
5.3. No body shall
be buried in
a grave in such a manner that any part of the coffin is less than three feet (915 mm) below the level
of the ground adjoining the grave except at the Superintendent's discretion.
5.4.
No body shall be buried in a grave unless the coffin is effectively separated from any coffin previously
interred in the grave by means of a layer of earth not less than 6" (150 mm) in thickness except
in the case of a multiple burial.
5.5. Graves will be sufficiently
large
to admit coffins/caskets to the dimensions specified by the Funeral Director or the person arranging
the funeral on the application form. In the event of a grave having to be enlarged, an additional charge
could be levied at the discretion of the Superintendent.
5.6.
Work, other
than excavation, including the construction or reopening of bricked graves or vaults, the erection or
removal and re-fixing of memorials, may be carried out under the direction of the Superintendent by
any competent person appointed by the owner of the purchased grave.
5.7.
All coffined burials must take place in coffins of a material and design approved by the Superintendent.
Metal caskets, caskets which contain glass, or cardboard coffins are permitted at the discretion of
the Superintendent. In principle these types of coffins will be accepted for burial on the proviso that
they are used in graves for only one interment or as a last interment in a reopened grave.
5.8.
Coffins manufactured abroad may be accepted for interment at the discretion of the Superintendent.
5.9.
Un-coffined burials may take place provided a body is properly shrouded, death has not been due to a
notifiable or infectious disease, and it is for a single interment or a last interment in a multiple
grave.
N.B. Shrouded bodies are only accepted for direct
to grave burials.
5.10.
Interment in a grave with the coffin lid removed discreetly at graveside and placed within the grave
is permitted.
5.11. All coffins and shrouds must be marked
with a none
perishable plaque, nameplate, or by other means as shall be approved by the Council, showing the name,
age and date of death of the deceased. In the case of a stillborn child no age will be recorded. Where
two bodies are interred in one coffin then both names shall be marked.
5.12.
No coffin or part of a coffin shall be removed from any Cemetery grounds without the prior and express
permission of the Superintendent.
5.13. No body shall be
removed from
a Cemetery for any purpose whatsoever except on the order of a Coroner, Court of Summary Jurisdiction
or a Chief Constable.
5.14. No body or cremated remains shall
be exhumed
without the consent of the Secretary of State for Home Affairs and/or the Faculty of the Bishop of the
Diocese.
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6.0.
Rules and
Regulations Relating To Memorials
The Cemetery
and Crematorium
grounds,
including the Gardens of Remembrance, are provided for the benefit of everyone and, because of this,
private plaques, vases and other monuments or momentos are not permitted. If a personal memorial is
desired, details of what is available can be obtained from a Cemetery Office.
6.1.
Monuments, memorials, stones or tablets may only be placed or erected over vaults or graves in respect
of which an Exclusive Right of Burial has been purchased, and shall not be placed or erected without
the prior written consent of the owner of the Exclusive Right of Burial, or without the express approval
of the Council.
6.2. In the Babies Section at either Northern
or Southern
Cemetery, a memorial must be no larger than 18" x 12" (460 mm x 300 mm) and if a vase is to
be provided it must be attached to the memorial. In order to keep the areas neat, tidy and manageable,
no other forms of memorial are allowed. In none private graves 12" x 12" (300 mm x 300 mm)
tablets/plaques may be sunk in the ground to ½" (13 mm) below ground level. Any memorials, etc
so placed in Cemetery grounds shall remain at the owner's risk and the Council shall not be held responsible
for any loss, damage or breakage to the same. In this respect, it is strongly recommended that the owner
adequately insure any memorial.
6.3. The permission of the
Superintendent
to place or erect any form of memorialisation in the Crematorium or any of the Cemetery grounds must
be obtained.
Any monument, memorial, stone, shrub, plant
or item whatsoever
erected or placed in the Cemetery or Crematorium in contravention of these Regulations may be removed
by the Superintendent at any time without notice.
6.4. Memorials
must
be of a material approved by the Superintendent.
6.5. Before
the erection
of any tablet, monument, memorial, or stone vase, a drawing with any proposed inscription must be sent
in duplicate on the prescribed forms to the Superintendent for the approval of the Council. The type(s)
of material to be used shall be stated, together with exact dimensions and all associated details. The
application forms must be duly signed and dated by the registered owner of the Exclusive Right of Burial
or, in the event of the death of the owner, an indemnity must be fully completed and submitted.
6.6.
No memorial may be fixed until formal written approval is given by the Council and a Permit issued.
On completion of the work a Declaration must be completed by the person who has fixed the memorial and
submitted to the appropriate Cemetery offices without delay.
6.7.
No
monument or other memorial shall be altered or interfered with after it has been erected in the Cemetery
in accordance with the designs submitted to and approved by the Council.
No
inscription may be cut, nor work of any kind undertaken to any monument or memorial within a Cemetery
without the prior written consent of the Superintendent.
6.8.
No memorial
shall be removed from a Cemetery for the purpose of cutting an additional inscription until the formal
written approval of the Superintendent has been given in respect of the proposed addition(s).
Amended
January 2001
N.B. Any person contravening this Regulation
will not be
allowed to carry out any further work within a Cemetery.
6.9.
All memorials
must be fixed or re-fixed in accordance with the National Association of Memorial Masons Recommended
Code of Working Practice.
All work shall be subject to the
directions
of the Superintendent and any person carrying out works must adequately protect grass, borders, and
adjoining memorials. On completion of works all surplus materials must be removed and the whole site
cleaned and left in a satisfactory condition.
6.10. Full-length
kerbstones
and footstones of a material and design approved by the Superintendent will only be allowed in the Traditional
Sections of a Cemetery. The area enclosed on a single grave space shall not exceed 7.0'" x 3'0"
(2100 mm x 900 mm) and on a double grave space no more than 7'0" x 7'0" (2100 mm x 2100 mm).
6.11.
No headstone placed in a Cemetery shall exceed 4'6" (1370 mm) in height or 2'6" (750 mm) in
width; the minimum thickness shall be 2" (50 mm) except in the case of slate where 1½" (40
mm) is acceptable.
6.12. The person erecting a memorial shall
ensure
that the relevant Section and Grave Number is inscribed 2" (50 mm) above ground level on a suitable
part of the memorial.
6.13. The name of the Stonemason may
be discreetly
inscribed in an appropriate place on the memorial. The address and/or contact details for the stonemason
are not however permitted.
6.14. Hardwood Crosses of timber
obtained
from sustainable forests may be erected. Crosses must not exceed 2'6" (750 mm) in height, 20"
(500 mm) in width, or 3" (75 mm) in thickness. They must be set in a sufficient stone or concrete
plate or base, the surface of which is to be below ground level to enable a mower to pass freely over
it.
6.15. All monuments and materials must be conveyed into
the Cemetery
or Crematorium in such a manner as not to cause any damage to roads, walks or turf.
6.16.
No monuments, memorials or materials may be taken into a Cemetery or Crematorium before 8.30 am on any
working day nor on Good Friday, Christmas Day, Saturdays, Sundays or Bank Holiday unless the prior consent
of the Superintendent has been obtained.
6.17. All persons
employed in
fixing, painting, or restoring memorials, etc, must leave the Cemetery by 5.00 pm or the hour of closing
(whichever is the earlier.) 6.18. All dressing or working of stone or other materials to be used in
or about any grave, vault, monument or memorial shall be undertaken outside the Cemetery, except such
work which cannot be carried out elsewhere.
All materials
shall be carefully
removed from the vehicles conveying them and neatly piled or placed in or near the place where they
are to be used, as directed by the Superintendent. No working is permitted on roads, walks, or adjoining
graves and all surplus materials must be removed from the Cemetery.
6.19.
A memorial removed for the purpose of a further interment shall be transported from the Cemetery grounds.
Any memorial left in the Cemetery grounds may be disposed of by the Council.
6.20.
Every coffin interred in a vault shall be covered in an approved manner. Vaults shall not be opened
otherwise than from the top except with the prior consent of the Superintendent.
6.21.
Every grave or vault in respect of which an Exclusive Right of Burial has been granted, and any monument
or memorial thereon must be kept in good repair by the owner. Notice to have repairs executed will be
sent to the owner where contact details are known. In cases where the name and/or address of the owner
is not known, a notice shall be deemed to be properly served if placed upon the grave space, monument
or memorial.
If necessary repairs are not carried out within
six months
of the date of the notice, then the memorial may be removed and disposed of by the Council.
6.22.
The construction of new grave mounds and the replacement of existing mounds will not be allowed in any
part of the Cemetery other than in those areas set aside for Muslim burials; any neglected mound on
an existing grave will be levelled and turfed.
6.23. The
planting of
shrubs on graves in the Traditional Section of cemeteries is allowed but only dwarf species are permitted.
6.24.
No shrubs shall be cut down or carried away without the consent of the Superintendent. The Council reserves
the right to prune, cut down or remove any shrub, plant or flowers where, in the opinion of the Superintendent,
they have become unsightly, overgrown or dangerous.
6.25.
No bell glasses
are allowed, and no ornaments or decorations permitted unless the prior approval of the council has
been obtained.
6.26. Memorials in the form of the donation
of seats,
shrubs, trees, roses, bird boxes, etc may be permitted at the discretion of the Superintendent dependent
upon the memorial schemes being operated by the Council.
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7.0.
Special Provisions Relating Only to the General (Canning Circus) Cemetery
7.1.
Burials may take place in vaults and wholly walled graves which can be opened to a depth of at least
3'9" (1140 mm) on condition that every coffin buried is separately enclosed by properly cemented
stonework. 7.2. Burials of parents, widows, widowers, children, children-in-law, grandchildren, brothers
and sisters of persons by whom burial rights were acquired may be buried:-
(a)
in earth graves which can be opened to a depth of 5'0" (150 mm) without exposing human remains;
(b)
in grave spaces which had been acquired by 1st January 1923, but in which no burials had at that date
taken place.
7.3. The removal of kerb sets on neglected graves
shall
be at the discretion of the Council. Kerb sets so removed shall not be replaced but may, however, be
replaced by vase or headstone where none already exists.
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8.0.
Lawn Sections
- Northern and Southern Cemeteries
The Lawn Sections
of the Cemetery
are provided for the benefit of everyone and because of this and the needs for grounds maintenance,
unauthorised monuments or momentos are not permitted in the unsown areas at the head of graves.
8.1.
The surface of a grave or vault shall not be raised above the level of the immediately adjoining ground.
8.2.
On the day of a funeral, flowers and wreaths may be placed on the grave in which the burial takes place
and left there for seven days, after which period the Superintendent will have them removed.
8.3.
When the flowers and wreaths have been removed from a grave following a funeral, nothing else may be
placed or planted except in the unsown area at the head of the grave. Any item placed on the actual
grave will be removed without notice.
8.4. As soon as practicable
after
the interment of a body, the Council will sow grass seed or lay turf over the whole area of the grave
surface except the area measuring 2'0" (610 mm) long by 4'0" (1220 mm) wide at the head of
the grave [known as the 'unsown area']
8.5. The Council will,
at its
own expense, maintain the whole of the sown or turfed area of grave surfaces.
8.6.
No monument, gravestone, memorial tablet, plaque, kerb, fence, railings, chippings, or the like shall
be placed or erected upon or about the sown area of any grave. Any such item placed on grave will be
removed without notice.
8.7. In the unsown area of each grave
a headstone
not exceeding 4'6" (1370 mm) in height above the immediately adjoining ground level and 2'6"
(750 mm) in width and 2" (50 mm) in thickness and/or a vase not exceeding 10" (250 mm) square
and 8" (200 mm) in height (including the base or landing on which the vase may be placed) may be
erected in a position and manner approved by the Superintendent.
N.B
Regulations 6.4 to 6.25 (Memorials) also apply to the erection of any monument, etc, in the lawn sections
of the Cemeteries, and must be complied with.
Amended April
2000
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