Graveside mementoes bagged up ‘like rubbish’
RELATIVES PLAN PROTEST AGAINST CEMETERY CLEAN UP
GRIEVING relatives will come together at Hey Lane Cemetery in Huddersfield this weekend to protest against the council altering gravesides at the site near Castle Hill.
There has been an outpouring of anger in recent days after it emerged Kirklees Council had removed ornaments and decorative mementos from gravesides and dumped them in plastic bags. The items have been left in the cemetery’s car park and will remain there for four weeks with people expected to collect them themselves.
In response, a group titled ‘Protect Our Loved Ones’ Resting Place’ has been created on Facebook, with people being encouraged to meet at the cemetery at 11am this Sunday.
Writing on the page, the organiser said: “Kirklees Council is disgustingly removing our loved ones’ items from their resting place.
“Not only are they removing them, they are bagging them up like it’s rubbish and throwing it into the car park area...Let’s stand together on this. It is disgusting, inhumane and heartbreaking.”
A total of 17 people have indicated they will be congregating at the cemetery on Sunday, with 37 more confirming they are ‘interested.’ Grieving relatives have been encouraged to bring “before and after” pictures of graves, as well as banners or “anything that will help in the protest”.
In a statement given to the Examiner on Thursday, the council said anyone who buys a plot at the cemetery is made aware of a condition that “no kerbstones, fencing, ornaments or any form of planting will be permitted.”
The authority added that grave owners with “unauthorised items” received a letter on March 4 warning them they would have to be removed within a fortnight.
Colin Parr, strategic director for environment and climate change, said the council is required to “ensure the cemetery is in keeping with its surroundings, considering its setting within a rural environment as a natural lawned cemetery.”
He continued: “We appreciate this is a sensitive and emotive issue but the council has a duty to maintain the site in accordance with planning conditions, and to respect the wishes of those families who abide by the terms of their grave lease, which was agreed to by all grave owners on this site at point of sale.”
Mr Parr added some council workers have been “subjected to verbal abuse and threats of violence”, something he said the council would “not tolerate”.
■ Have you been directly affected by what has happened at Hey Lane Cemetery? Email connor.teale@ reachplc.com with your story.