Council bosses have said that grass will be cut in the Muslim section of the cemetery ahead of the Eid festival as planned.

Concerns were raised this week as visitors said the grass had been allowed to grow to unacceptable levels at Pleasington Cemetery. Families said they had struggled to walk through some of the sections to tend to graves.

Blackburn with Darwen Council revealed due to there being five planned cuts a year, it has been decided to cut the grass a week before the next Eid festival on the week beginning June 17.

On Eid day the Muslim section is very busy with people coming to pay their respects to loved ones.

The council also reassured visitors that teams had been working hard to maintain the level of grass across a large area.

On Monday, Cllr Tiger Patel shared images where he compared the grass sections in different sections of the cemetery.

He said: “In the old Muslim section, the grass was completely overgrown and I had a number of people come up to me and ask why it was like this.

“People come here daily and they are struggling to visit the graves of their loved ones.

“I contacted the council teams and asked why this was happening.”

Lancashire Telegraph: It appears teams have been out cutting the grass next to the prayer hall

Lancashire Telegraph:

On a visit to the site on Wednesday, grass had been cut next to the old prayer hall and a worker was at the top of the cemetery cutting the grass during a very heavy downpour.

The council said the time of year 'was peak growing season' and, due to limited resources, teams followed a set cutting regime. 

A statement from the council read: “Our operatives cut the grass at Pleasington a minimum of five times per year, with more frequent cuts undertaken dependent upon weather conditions and staff availability. We have a small team undertaking all burials across the borough as well as maintaining the cemeteries. 
 
“Section Y and Y5 were last fully cut the week commencing April 8. 

“Operatives plan to cut the sections again the week commencing June 8 which is two weeks later than normal, due to the emphasis on planning for Eid. We would like to ensure the area is well maintained in time for Eid as we have a larger number of visitors during this time.

“As well as the council undertaking the grass maintenance within these sections, a volunteer group also attends every Sunday and cuts the grass. Part of section 3 was strimmed this weekend. 

“Dependant on the needs of the services, we will endeavour to cut section 4 within the Y section completely prior to the 8 June.”