Cemetery to be monitored as council aims to tackle flooding
COUNCILLORS have committed to carrying out any remedial works needed to tackle flooding at a cemetery in Hinckley.
Drainage work took place last year at Ashby Road Cemetery, after problems with flooding in the new extension during periods of heavy rain.
Grieving relatives reported water gathering on top of graves and on paths within the site.
Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council has now approved a motion to monitor the situation.
The motion said: “Council further commits to continuing to monitor the situation carefully and undertaking any further remedial works necessary to address the flooding issues in the Ashby Road Cemetery
Council notes the flooding problems over the past 18 months and apologises and expresses sympathy to any families concerned. Council motion
extension and to ensure that all relevant legislation relating to burial grounds is fully complied with.
“The council requests that a regular monitoring and progress report is brought to the Hinckley Area Committee and Scrutiny Commission”.
The Times spoke to relative Deborah Haines in February last year, after constant problems over the winter months with the paths and burial plots becoming waterlogged.
Families were even struggling to reach the graves of their relatives.
She said previously: “It’s dreadful.
There’s many families who weren’t aware of the situation, people who have had their loved ones buried recently.
“They say if they’d have known about this, they would have not buried them there.
“It’s so distressing for people.” Her mum, Mabel, was buried there in October 2020, and just a day after her burial her grave collapsed into a neighbouring plot that was being dug out.
Ms Haines’s dad visits the cemetery every day and he is distressed to see the flooding is still an issue.
The motion also said: “Council notes the flooding problems in the Ashby Road Cemetery extension over the past 18 months and apologises and expresses sympathy to any families concerned.
“Council further notes the extensive specialist drainage works recently carried out in the area and places on record its thanks to the Green Spaces team for the progress made.
“Council once again condemns the decision of the Secretary of State to allow the infilling and building on the Big Pit, which many residents feel has exacerbated flooding problems in the area.”
The new extension to the cemetery backs on to the Big Pit site.