Darwen cemetery scheme is welcomed

6:00am Wednesday 5th December 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Dan Clough, Reporter

THE council has welcomed the launch of a new grave maintenance service by a Darwen friends group.

Under the new scheme, the Friends of Darwen Cemetery would carry out work to graves four times a year for a fee of £20.

Before the service can be signed up to, volunteers from the group will do a one-off clearance of the grave site, undertaking heavy work to ensure the grave is left in an easy to maintain state.

This will involve removing the top 5cm of soil and covering the grave space in weed control membrane and a layer of white stone chippings.

Blackburn with Darwen Council’s executive member for environment Coun Faryad Hussain said: “I think this is a very good idea from the Friends of Darwen Cemetery.

“It is innovative, will be a good affordable service for relatives and will help the group get income to continue its great work.

“We are fully supportive of it. By everyone working together we can make the borough a better place. The council no longer offers a perpetuity service and there is only a very few graves still maintained under this scheme.”

Comments (3)

8:12am Wed 5 Dec 12

alphadelta says...

I seem to remember that when my grandparents died in the 1950s, and were interred at Darwen Cemetery, my parents paid a fee to the Council for them to maintain the grave "in perpetuity". I wonder what happened to that...
I seem to remember that when my grandparents died in the 1950s, and were interred at Darwen Cemetery, my parents paid a fee to the Council for them to maintain the grave "in perpetuity". I wonder what happened to that... alphadelta

8:31am Wed 5 Dec 12

owdman says...

The Council have been an absolute disgrace in the way they have vandalised Darwen Cemetery. It breaks my heart to see all the headstones that their thugs have managed to push over. Now they are ratting on the "In perpetuity" agreements and are obviously eager to let Friends of Darwen Cemetery take on more responsibility. This really highlights the lack of concern Blackburn has for Darwen.
The Council have been an absolute disgrace in the way they have vandalised Darwen Cemetery. It breaks my heart to see all the headstones that their thugs have managed to push over. Now they are ratting on the "In perpetuity" agreements and are obviously eager to let Friends of Darwen Cemetery take on more responsibility. This really highlights the lack of concern Blackburn has for Darwen. owdman

2:36pm Wed 5 Dec 12

johndarwen says...

This is a problem of you helping out, the council will pass on their job to the public.
This is where free labor takes away work from the lads, who are paid to do a job.
If I had paided any In-perpetuity for my family graves I would be claiming against the council for breach of contract. It was costing more that 20 a year for the council to look after my grave i the 90's.
This is how BwD and Capita can make money. Let the feelings of the public take control and work for free. Will the bosses of the cemetry take a wage cut?
This is a problem of you helping out, the council will pass on their job to the public. This is where free labor takes away work from the lads, who are paid to do a job. If I had paided any In-perpetuity for my family graves I would be claiming against the council for breach of contract. It was costing more that 20 a year for the council to look after my grave i the 90's. This is how BwD and Capita can make money. Let the feelings of the public take control and work for free. Will the bosses of the cemetry take a wage cut? johndarwen

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