FOI request (FOI220451)

Headstones

Requested Tue 15 August 2017
Responded Tue 15 August 2017

Can you give me details about the cemetery safety inspections of:

a) 2016/17

b) 2015/16,

c) 2014/15

d) 2013/14

listing for me all the unsafe headstones identified, the total amount of repairs estimated, the highest repair bill for one individual headstone and a list of all bills for repair recouped or set to be recouped from living relatives?

Response

Hastings Borough Council are unable to give details of individual graves without the permission of the grave owners. Of those who have been contacted have made their own arrangements to repair them so we do not know the costs of the repairs. Those who cannot be contacted or where the grave rights have come to an end we place a request to our grounds team, where possible to lower the stone by a third in the ground. We do not though place a charge against the grave for doing so.

We can provide figures to number of stones found unsafe for the above years being:

a) 2016/17 - 9
b) 2015/16 - 54
c) 2014/15  - 38
d) 2013/14  - 0