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Dunnington Cemetery

Rules and Regulations 10 October 2014

Cemetery Rules and Regulations (PDF file)

Dunnington Cemetery is owned, operated and regulated (subject only to Home Office Regulations in force at the time) exclusively by Dunnington Parish Council. The Cemetery is situated as shown on the attached plan and is divided into three parts; phase 1 for immediate use (2011) and phases 2 and 3 to be used consecutively when necessary.

The Parish Council may choose to discharge its responsibilities for the operation of the Cemetery through a Sub-Committee or Standing Committee (hereinafter referred to as the Committee) and, similarly, devolve day-to-day responsibilities to the Clerk of the Council or such other appointee as the Parish Council decides.

The Cemetery is for the people of Dunnington although this will be interpreted liberally and reasonably. Qualifying persons will include the following, albeit that special charges apply for non-parish residents:

  • Those born and raised in the Parish of Dunnington.
  • Those living in the Parish at the time of their death.
  • Those wishing to be buried with a relative who has already been interred in the Cemetery or who has purchased a plot.
  • Any other person permitted by the Council, subject to the regulations being amended to ensure similar treatment for such a category of applicant in the future.

    Dunnington Parish Council may from time to time change, amend or vary the following rules, according to the circumstances at the time. The regulations will always receive the best interpretation in the interests of all the people of the Parish of Dunnington.

    Burials and Interments including Cremated Remains

    1. Each plot will be consecrated individually.
    2. Plots will be used in numerical order as given on the plan. Requests for the selection of a specific site will be considered by the Committee with the wishes of the applicant being met as far as possible.
    3. Exclusive Rights of Burial are granted subject to any rules, regulations and bylaws which are in force at the time.
    4. Brick vaults will not be permitted.
    5. Only coffins of natural biodegradable material can be used.
    6. Written notice of an interment is to be given in the form provided by the Committee to the Clerk.
    7. Nobody shall be buried or human remains interred in any grave in which exclusive Rights of Burial subsists except with the consent, in writing, of the owner of the Right. The scattering of cremated remains in the Cemetery is prohibited.
    8. All graves are to be excavated and filled in by the person or persons so qualified and approved by the Clerk.
    9. Headstones for graves and cremation plots must be of a design approved by the Committee. Such a headstone may be erected only after any registration fee in force at the time has been paid.
    10. All headstones and vases proposed to be placed in the Cemetery, and inscriptions thereon, are to be subject to the approval of the Committee.
    11. Only memorials of natural stone will be allowed and only on the purchased plots. Glass shades, vases, jars or other ornaments are not permitted.
    12. All memorials are to be kept in good repair by the owners or those responsible. Memorials in disrepair will be removed by order of the Committee as will any that have been placed without authority. The cost of the work will be charged to those responsible for the infringement.
    13. Copper or aluminium clamps must be used to secure all memorials.
    14. The maximum size for a headstone and vase will be as follows :
      1. Adult grave – height 3’6”, width 3’, depth 1’4”
      2. Child’s grave – height 2’6”, width, 2’, depth 1’
      3. Cremated remains – height 2’6”, width 2’, depth 1’
      4. Upright headstones are only permitted.
      5. These sizes include the stone slab base which must be placed under every memorial.
      6. Maximum size for a vase – 12 x 12 x 12 inches.
      7. Upright headstones only.
    15.  Vehicles will be allowed in the Cemetery parking area for specific reason of attending to Cemetery functions. No unauthorised parking is permitted.
    16. No other types of formal or informal memorial are permitted without the specific approval of the Cemetery Committee and the Parish Council.
    17. Grave excavation and any other work may only be carried out with the permission of the Clerk and at times specified by him/her. This will be on a Monday to Friday between 9 am and 5 pm. Work may not be carried out on Sundays, Saturdays and Bank Holidays. Stonemasons are not allowed in the Cemetery while a funeral is in progress. All excess soil and waste material must be removed and the area around the grave left clean and tidy.
    18. Dunnington Cemetery is a lawn Cemetery meaning burial and interment plots can only be marked by headstones and memorial plaques. All landscaping, the planting of trees, shrubs and flowers, their maintenance and removal are the sole responsibility of Dunnington Parish Council or its Cemetery Committee. 
    19. The committee will arrange for the maintenance of graves, including grass cutting, on behalf of the owners for which a fee may be charged if so approved by Dunnington Parish Council. The maintenance of memorials and associated costs will be the responsibility of the owner or those responsible for the grave. 
    20. No maintenance of a grave may be carried out without the consent of the Committee or the Clerk.
    21. Except guide dogs no pets or animals are allowed in the Cemetery.
    22. No person shall in the Cemetery; commit any disturbance or nuisance, interfere with any burial or ceremony taking place, interfere with any grave, memorial, plants, shrubs or flowers, play any game or sport. All visitors to the Cemetery will act with due respect.

    Hours of Opening

    1. The Cemetery will be open from dawn to dusk. Access is not permitted during hours of darkness.
    2. It is a criminal offence for any person not being an officer of the Burial Authority to enter or remain in the Cemetery at any hour when access is not permitted.

    Fees

    1. The cost of a plot and the burial fee, including those for cremated remains will be determined by Dunnington Parish Council and revised from time to time by the Committee, subject to approval of Dunnington Parish Council. The fees are published in a table and charged accordingly by the Clerk.

    END