CC 2019 Minutes

Deeping St James Parish Council

The Institute, 38 Church Street, Deeping St James, Peterborough PE6 8HD

e-mail: clerk.dsjpc@btconnect.com

Tel: 01778 343266

Webpage: parishes.lincolnshire.gov.uk/deepingstjames

Parish Clerk: Julie Fortnum

Minutes of the meeting of the Cemetery Committee held in the meeting room on Thursday 28 February 2019 at 6.45pm.

Present: Councillors Barber, Halls, Shinkins-Hoppe and Councillor Bowell as ex-officio voting member.

20.19 To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies had been received and were accepted from Councillors Stevens and Thomas.

21.19 To receive declarations of interest, if any.

None received

22.19 To agree and approve the minutes of the last meeting held on Thursday 20 September 2018

Agreed and signed.

23.19 To receive an updated report on the number of interments and reservations.

24.19 To consider removing the wire fencing and erecting metal railings between the Churchyard and the Cemetery.

The Clerk had obtained quotations for the manufacture, supply and installation of new railings as well as manufacture and supply only from a local company and two online providers. It was agreed to recommend to full council that the local company should manufacture and supply the new railings and that they should be installed by Parish Council staff and volunteer Councillors. The cost of this would be paid from the Cemetery reserve fund which had been accumulated over the previous six years.

25.19 To consider hosting a Sexton Course for staff of Funeral Directors or Burial Boards to attend.

The Clerk explained that recently a non-local Funeral Director asked for a member of the Council to be present at the Cemetery prior to a burial to receive the paperwork and payment. This does not happen with local Funeral Directors as they bring/post the paperwork to the office prior to the date of the funeral. The Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management have advised that it is good practice for a member of the burial authority to be in attendance and they run the above course which covers all matters relating to this which it may be beneficial for Parish Council staff to attend. Unfortunately those currently arranged are not local so it was suggested that DSJPC host a course. The Clerk was asked to obtain further information about hosting a course.

26.19 To consider providing training to the parish council maintenance staff can take on the role of preparing the ground and interment of cremated remains

A recent enquiry from a relative had led to the Clerk enquiring with the ICCM as to whether training and qualifications were required to fulfil the above. The ICCM representative advised that training should and could be given allowing the Parish Council to complete this task not only for DSJPC but for other local councils. The Clerk was asked to obtain further information about this and see if this could be incorporated into the course discussed under section 25.19 or if the ICCM could tailor a course specific to the needs of DSJPC

27.19 To receive an update on the memorial safety checks carried out last July 2018 and the work done to correct the faults found.

The Clerk advised that letters had been issued to the last known address of the individuals who had the exclusive rights relating to the headstones of concern with limited response so work had been carried out by Parish Council staff where permission had been granted and as the risk posed by the headstones was low they would be monitored at regular intervals. The Clerk also advised that a response had been received to a letter issued regarding the installation of kerb edgings in the lawn Cemetery. It was agreed that letters should be issued if kerb edgings were installed and that all graves with areas of garden should be monitored and the owners contacted if the area became untidy or overgrown as the Cemetery regulations stated that the new Cemetery was a lawn Cemetery

28.19 To receive a report on the work carried out by the community rehabilitation team

Councillor Barber advised that the team continued to visit the parish and sometimes worked in the Cemetery although the size of the team had been low recently. It was hoped that the visits would continue although the Parish Council were being asked to provide welfare facilities from now on and discussions were ongoing as to whether these could be provided.

29.19 To consider what is to be included in DSJPC’s strategic plan

Due to lack of time this item was deferred. It was agreed that Councillors Barber, Halls and Shinkins-Hoppe would meet to discuss this within the next fortnight.

30.19 To agree the date of the next meeting

7.45pm on Thursday 20 June 2019

Meeting closed at 7.30pm