Bereavement is a time when relatives and friends require support and assistance. The desire that a loved one should be laid to rest in pleasant surroundings in a well tended plot is one that the Council recognises, and the contents of this page are intended to give guidance and supply answers to those most common questions that arise at these difficult times.
Understandably, the guide does not cover all the regulations. Should these be required, they are available in booklet form from the following address:-
Dover District Council
Burials section
White Cliffs Business Park
Dover
Kent CT16 3PJ
Telephone No. (01304) 872458
Where are the Burial Records, and Whom Should I Contact?
The Registers of Burials, and other records, are held for safe keeping
with the Property and Procurement Division. No records are kept at the cemeteries,
and therefore queries should be directed to the staff at the Whitfield
Offices and not to the cemetery staff, as it is unlikely that they will
be able to be of any assistance. (E-mail: burials@dover.gov.uk
or telephone (01304) 872458)
Your Funeral Director or Monumental Mason will be working closely with the Property and Procurement staff in arranging burials and erecting memorials and so will be experienced in the do's and dont's of the regulations. In most cases they will prepare and complete all the paperwork on your behalf, and pay any fees required including those of the Council, and submit them in their final account.
Who Manages the Cemeteries?
Enquiries and applications should be made through the Property and Procurement office. All funerals, burials or disposal of ashes, and erection
of memorials, are under the control of the Head of Property and Procurement.
Any works must be carried out to the satisfaction of the Council, and
anything placed or planted on any grave, other than an approved memorial,
becomes the property of the Council, and may be removed should it be considered
necessary.
Can I Ask Cemetery Staff to do Works on My Behalf?
Although the Council's staff are willing to advise in any way they
can, they are not allowed to be privately employed to carry out any works
within the Council's Cemeteries.
Although a grave space can be allocated without purchase, the large majority of new graves today are purchased by the family or next of kin of the deceased. Purchased graves are still subject to the cemetery regulations, but they enjoy a number of privileges, not least of which is the right to erect a headstone by way of memorial.
Who Chooses the Position of the Grave?
The selection of grave space is at the discretion of the Council and allocations
are made by the Property and Procurement staff.
There are children's Gardens of Rest at St. Mary's Cemetery, Dover, Hamilton Road Cemetery, Deal, Boatmans Hill Cemetery, Sandwich and at Aylesham Cemetery.
These are laid out with headstone borders for your memorials and tributes. The remainder of the area is grassed for ease of maintenance.
How are the Graves Arranged?
The sections currently in use are laid out as lawn plots to enable
the maintenance of the area to be carried out more effeciently. The sections
are set out with headstone borders, two feet in width, with a rose bush
planted between each plot. To avoid maintenance problems and to preserve
a pleasant uniformity, the headstone borders should not be altered in
any way, nor should any border edging of any kind be placed on a grave.
For similar reasons the headstone borders are kept clear of any plants
or vegetation, and the grassed areas kept flat and unplanted.
Should I Purchase a Grave Plot?
The purchase of a grave space gives the purchaser certain rights and
privileges. For instance, purchased graves may be dug deep enough to allow
for up to four burials. This allows members of the same family to be buried
in the same plot at later dates, if they so wish. No purchased grave may
be re-opened for another burial without satisfactory proof that the owner,
or his or her successor in title, has given consent. The registered owner
also has the right to erect and maintain one memorial on the grave. The
owner also has the right to transfer the Right of Burial to any relative
in which case the Deed of Grant should be sent, with a covering letter,
to the Head of Property and Procurement for endorsement, and for the records
to be changed.
How Do I Purchase a Grave?
Plots in the Council's cemetery are generally purchased at the time
of the first burial, and the Funeral Director can make the application
on your behalf. Plots may, however, be purchased in advance by applying
to the Head of Property and Procurement through the Whitfield Offices. Please
click here for an application form. A purchased plot carries with
it a Deed of Grant for Exclusive Right of Burial for one hundred years
and is proof of purchase. It is an important document and should be kept
in a safe place.
What About Unpurchased Graves?
Unpurchased graves are prepared for one or two burials only, and no
headstone or memorial vase is permitted. However, a removable flower vase
less than twelve inches in height may be placed on the grave.
How are the Fees Paid?
Any fee for a purchase arranged by a Funeral Director will be included
in his account. If, however, you are purchasing a plot in advance, please
complete our application form and return
to us together with the fee.
New graves are provided in the areas of cemeteries specially designed for ease of maintenance. This keeps costs down and ensures that a higher standard of upkeep is more readily achieved - see the section on obtaining a grave space.
Can I Erect a Headstone or Memorial Vase?
A memorial can only be erected on a purchased grave. Your Monumental
Mason will be fully aware of the Council's requirements concerning the
size, materials and methods of fixing the memorial and will be pleased
to advise you on the procedures to be followed before the memorial can
be erected.
How do I Obtain Permission for a Headstone?
An application for approval signed by the owner of the Deed of Grant
of the grave is sent to the Property and Procurement Office by the Monumental
Mason at least fourteen days before the monument is to be erected. Once
approval to the application is received in writing from the Head of Property and Procurement, the erection of the memorial can take place.
Can I Have More Than One Memorial?
The registered owner of a purchased plot has the right to erect and
maintain one memorial on the grave. This can either be a headstone or
a memorial vase and must be placed at the head of the grave. Inscriptions
on memorial vases are restricted to the name, initials and age and date
of death.
Are Kerbstones and Enclosures Allowed?
The Council is anxious to maintain a high level of maintenance throughout
all its cemeteries and to ensure a high standard of care for all the plots
within its control. Any kerbstones or other enclosures on any grave would
present difficulties in this area and are therefore not permitted except
where they already exist in the older parts of the cemeteries.
What are My Responsibilities for the Memorial?
Memorials are the responsibility of the owner of the grave. Although
the Council is not responsible for maintaining a memorial nor for any
damage caused to it, owners are advised of any damage and will be given
time to arrange for its repair or removal. In the case of a memorial which
has become unsafe or dilapidated, the Council has the right to make it
safe by laying it down and may seek authority to remove it after which
time the memorial will be stored for one year to allow the owner sufficient
time to deal with the problem. A memorial erected without permission may
be removed without notice, although the next of kin will normally be contacted
beforehand to be given the opportunity to apply to purchase the Deed of
Grant.
Some older parts of cemeteries are mainly used for the re-opening of family graves. These sections may contain fully kerbed as well as unkerbed graves. The following regulations apply to these older sections of cemeteries.
What Floral Tributes Can I Place Upon the Grave?
Floral decorations can be placed on any grave. In order to keep cemeteries
in a neat and tidy condition floral tributes will be taken from the grave
and disposed of as soon as they are seen to be decaying. This is usually
7-21 days after the interment. If relatives wish to retain the bases to
the floral tributes the District Council will need to be advised of this
fact at the time of the interment.
What Happens if the Headstones Become Dilapidated
or Dangerous?
Graves are sometimes difficult to maintain in which case they may
be turfed over at the owner's request, free of charge, by contacting the
Head of Property and Procurement in writing.
Planting of Graves
Nothing may be planted within the headstone borders of the lawn plots
except for the roses provided by the District Council. The Council maintains
the headstone borders without charge to the owners.
Shrubs, roses etc. may be planted within the graves in the older kerbed sections of the cemeteries although the Council reserves the right to remove any plant which becomes overgrown or untidy.
Can the Council Maintain a Grave For Me?
The Property and Procurement office will be pleased to make the necessary
arrangements for any grave to be maintained or planted/maintained by the
Council. Invoices for these services are generally sent out in December
each year and new requests for either of these services must be received
by the first week in March to be included in that current year's maintenance
programme. Any request received after that date will be added to the programme
as soon as possible.
See also Commemorative Benches and Commemorative Plaques
Telephone No. (01304) 872458
E-mail: burials@dover.gov.uk
