CC 2023 Minutes

DEEPING ST JAMES PARISH COUNCIL
The Institute, 38 Church Street, Deeping St James, PE6 8HD
E-mail: clerk@deepingstjames-pc.gov.uk
Tel: 01778 343266
Webpage: //deeping-st-james.parish.lincolnshire.gov.uk
Facebook: Deeping St James Parish Council

Parish Clerk: Julie Fortnum

The minutes of the Cemetery Committee meeting held on Tuesday 5 September 2023 at 7.00pm in the meeting at the Institute.

Present: Councillors Bowell, Halls, Hosking, Shinkins-Hoppe, Stevens and Townsin (as an observer).

The minutes were taken by the Parish Clerk.

24.10   To receive apologies of absence.

Apologies had been received from and were accepted from Councillor Halls.

24.11   To receive any declarations of interest. None declared.

24.12   To agree the minutes of the last meeting held on Tuesday 30 May 2023. Agreed and signed.

24.13   Clerks report.

Several members of the public have contacted the Parish Council office raising a variety of concerns -

1.   The hedge at the rear of the new Cemetery encroaching some of the cremated remains memorial tablet.

The Clerk has advised that this will be cut back in the Autumn

2.   The lack of grass cutting in the oldest section of the old Cemetery including directly at the rear of the boundary fences of the properties on Burghley Close.

The Clerk has advised that this area of the Cemetery is not being cut as often to encourage bio-diversity however it will be cut at least twice a year however the area at the rear of the rear of the Burghley Close residents boundary fences would be cleared regularly to avoid the growth encroaching into their back gardens (this has been completed by one of the maintenance staff).

3.   Teenagers congregating in the old Cemetery at the Hereward Way end especially behind the secure storage unit, moving the 3 unsecure benches and causing a nuisance.

The Clerk has advised both the members of the public that they should report these incidences to the Police as they are taking place and also that in order to reduce the appeal of the area the 3 benches will be either be secured at an appropriate location or removed from the Cemetery.

The committee suggested that the maintenance team should secure the area at the rear of storage unit with a post and rail fence with a locked access gate and plastic anti climbing spikes on top to stop this continuing.
 
4.   The weeds growing between the slabbed path and under the Grace memorial bench in the New Cemetery

The Clerk has advised that it is the intention to relay the slabbed path in the Autumn/Winter so maintenance on the area has been reduced until that is complete

5. The removal of ornaments from the grave bed and a request to install a small ornamental bench instead of a headstone which contravenes the current Cemetery regulations.

The Clerk is in ongoing communication with the family members hoping to come to an agreeable conclusion which may include financial support from the Deeping St James United Charities

Since the last committee meeting there has been one burial (in a previously reserved plot). A further burial (in a previously reserved plot) has been arranged for Wednesday 6 September 2023 and an interment of ashes (in a newly allocated plot) has been arranged for Friday 8 September 2023.

24.14   To consider agreeing to the maintenance team following the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management initial inspection process to categorise memorials and then the ICCM’s management of memorials flowchart to assess the safety of the memorials in the Cemetery prior to prepare a report for the committee to agree what action is to be taken.

Councillor Shinkins-Hoppe proposed that she and Councillor Hosking work together to complete the memorial safety checks using the ICCM inspection process guide to assess the memorials and report the findings back to the Clerk so that she can attempt to make contact with holders of the exclusive right of burial who are responsible for the memorials. This was seconded by Councillor Bowell and RESOLVED.

24.15   Update on possible areas for establishing (and managing) a Garden of Remembrance

-Re-use of graves in the old Cemetery reuseofgraves (iccm-uk.com)

The Clerk referred to the re-use of graves document which states that this is only legal in London Cemeteries and has not been utilised that often.

-Millennium Wood

The Clerk advised that she had contacted the Asset Manager at South Kesteven District Council to see if they would be interested in gifting this piece of land to DSJPC which is currently leased until 2049.

-Land at the rear of Millennium Wood

The Clerk advised that she had not as yet had contacted the owners of this land but would do so in due course.

-Area at the rear of the Priory Church

At the meeting held on 30 May 2023 Councillor Stevens had offered to contact the Vicar of the Priory Church about this. Councillor Stevens sent an email to the Rev. Mark Williams.

24.16   To consider subscribing to Scribe Cemetery Software Package from April 2024. Scribe - Cloud Cemetery Management Software Tour - YouTube

The Clerk advised that currently the Cemetery records are on an Excel spreadsheet created by a former Councillor. The Clerk had continued these and felt confident that the more recent information was accurately logged however she was concerned that there were some anomalies in the older records. Councillors Hosking and Shinkins- Hoppe offered to look at the spreadsheets and compare them to what they found when visiting the Cemetery then report back any differences to the Clerk for investigation.

24.17   To review the Cemetery and memorials regulations and fees.

Taking into account the issues that had been brought to the committees attention in the Clerk’s report and the memorial safety requirements it was suggested that the regulations should be reviewed following the initial inspection of the memorials by Councillors Hosking and Shinkins-Hoppe with a view to them being tightened to enable better ground keeping and utilise the land better, examples of Stamford Cemetery laying rows of concrete plinths in advance and Crowland Cemetery burying the deceased so headstones were erected back to back were mentioned. It was agreed that an extraordinary meeting should be called at 7pm on Tuesday 19 October 2023 to consider the regulations further.

After comparing the fees with the neighbouring Town Council, it was proposed, seconded and RESOLVED that the Cemetery and memorial fees are not increased this year.

24.18   To receive a report on the position to date and the expected spend for the financial year 2023/24.

No concerns were raised regarding the current year’s budget report.

It was noted that the work undertaken on the trees in the Cemetery would be paid for from the maintenance of trees and hedges cost code budget within the recreation and open spaces cost centre.

24.19   To consider the budget estimates for the financial year 2024/25 and make recommendations to the finance policy and personnel committee whose next meeting is on Tuesday 17 October 2023.

It was noted that the green waste disposal cost code under the amenity areas cost centre would be considered at the recreation and open spaces committee.

It was also noted that any additional machinery required was currently and would continue to be purchased from the office and maintenance expenses cost code  within the administration cost centre the budget for which was £6000 for 2023/24 and the 2024/25 budget would be considered at the finance policy and personnel committee meeting on 17 October 2023.

24.20   It was noted that the next scheduled meeting was 7pm on Tuesday 9 January 2024 and that the committee had also called an extraordinary meeting to be held at 7pm on Tuesday 10 October 2023.