Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Parents offered baby graves memorial site
COUNCIL environment bosses have unveiled what they hope is an acceptable plan for the baby graves area at Birkhill Cemetery — in a bid to placate bereaved parents.
The proposals — shown first to the Tele — will provide families with a dedicated area in front of their child’s headstone for memorials in an exception to the policy on memorabilia in cemeteries.
It is hoped the plans will be welcomed by parents who feared the overhaul of the site would prevent them placing toys and other decorations beside graves.
Rod Houston, service manager for the council’s neighbourhood services division, said the idea was to come to an “agreement” with parents over the sensitive matter.
He said: “It is normal practice in other cemeteries across the city that the only place you can put memorabilia is within the headstone border. It makes maintenance very clear.
“However, this (plan) is an exception — a slight change — as we are trying to come to an agreement.
“There will be less of a memorial (space) but it will extend beyond what we do in other cemeteries.”
Dundee City Council’s plans to revise the baby area at Birkhill had provoked both praise and anger from grieving parents.
The Tele spoke to several mothers in February who said they had been left “stressed” and “upset” by mixed messages from the authority over the site’s future.
Mr Houston stressed that parents would still be able to place memorials where their child now rests.
In addition, memorial benches which had been placed on the site would stay on the site for good.
He noted: “(Families) will be able to put their own memorabilia down.” As part of efforts to consult on the plan, the council will erect an “example” of the new memorial areas at Birkhill for parents to see. A letter has also been sent to parents to update them on the situation — but it concedes that toys and other items will have to be removed “temporarily” for the landscaping to go ahead. Mr Houston added that the authority was still open to suggestions for the future of the site. He said: “It is very sensitive, and although the proposals are here now they are not set in stone. We are prepared to meet people face to face to have those discussions.” Rod Houston