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Notice of Interment shall be given on the forms
provided by the Council at the Offices of the Head of Property and Procurement at the White Cliffs Business Park, Whitfield, Dover, Kent
CT16 3PG between the hours of 9am and 5pm. No Notice can be received
on Saturdays, Sundays, Christmas Day, Good Friday or on Bank or other
Public Holidays. An order for the interment will then be issued which
must be delivered by the person undertaking the funeral, to the appropriate
representative of the Head of Property and Procurement seventy-two hours
at least (exclusive of the above mentioned days) before the time of
interment.
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The disposal certificate of the Registrar of Births,
Deaths and Marriages or the Coroner's warrant (when an inquest is
held) and a form of authority for interment duly signed must be delivered
to the appropriate representative of the Head of Property and Procurement
prior to the interment of the body. Interment of still-born children
will only be permitted upon the production of the medical or other
requisite certificate.
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The time appointed for an interment must be punctually
observed; otherwise the interment may be postponed until other funerals
have taken place. No burial may take place before 9.00 a.m. or after
3.30pm (2.30pm on Fridays). The attendance of the officiating Minister
must be arranged for by the person undertaking the funeral. No burials
may take place on Saturdays, Sundays, Christmas Day, Good Friday or
on Bank or other Public Holidays without special consent.
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All funerals will be under the control of the appropriate
representative of the Head of Property and Procurement .
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The selection of grave spaces in all cases to
be at the discretion of the Council. Burials are not permitted in
the Chapels. Every grave must be dug as nearly as possible in the
middle of its grave space.
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No vault or grave in which the exclusive right
of burial has been purchased may be re-opened, unless satisfactory
proof that the owners or his successor in title has given consent
is produced with the notice of interment.
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(a) In the case of walled graves or vaults, the
ground shall be excavated at the expense of the purchaser by the Council
or its Contractors, who shall provide planks to keep the chalk or
soil off the turf and shall either remove the surplus chalk or soil
from the Cemetery or deposit it in such places therein as shall be
directed by the appropriate representative of the Head of Property and Procurement . All excavation, whether of grave, walled graves or vaults
shall comply in all respects with the Construction Health Safety and
Welfare Regulations 1995 and the Management of Health and Safety at
Work Regulations 1992.
(b) In cases where the requirements of the Regulations are not complied
with the representative of the Head of Property and Procurement or the
Council's Safety Officer shall instruct that all works shall cease
and the excavation be made safe. The excavation shall not be re-commenced
until such time at the requirements of the above mentioned Regulations
are met. The terms and conditions of any existing code of practice
issued by the Council or the Health and Safety Executive and covering
these works must also be complied with.
(c) Every walled grave or vault shall be properly constructed of suitable
materials to the requirements of the representative of the Head of
Property and Procurement .
(d) Brick graves and vaults shall be opened from the top unless the
ground required for entrance shall also have been purchased. Earth
of the depth of 0.45 metres and turf must be placed over every brick
grave or vault.
(e) Within 24 hours of any burial in a walled grave or vault the coffin
shall be:
(i) Embedded in concrete and covered with a layer of concrete not
less than 0.15 metres thick, or
(ii) Enclosed in a separate cell or compartment of slate, stone flagging
or precast concrete slabs of a 1 cement: 2 sand: 4 course aggregate
mix, in any case not less than 0.05 metres thick, in such a manner
as to prevent, as far as may be practicable, the escape of noxious
gas from the interior of the cell or compartment.
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No body shall be buried in a grave in such a manner
that any part of the coffin is less than 0.9 metres below the level
of any ground adjoining the grave; provided that the Council may,
where it considers the soil to be of suitable character, permit a
coffin made of perishable materials to be placed not less than 0.6
metres below the level of any ground adjoining the grave.
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One body only may be buried in a grave at a time
unless the bodies be of those of members of the same family.
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The depth of graves in respect of which the exclusive
right of burial has been purchased shall, (subject to the provisions
of Regulation 8 of these Regulations) be at the discretion of the
registered owner of the exclusive right of burial or his representative.
The depth of graves in respect of which the exclusive right of burial
has not been purchased shall be 1.98 metres (unless the Council orders
otherwise). The maximum depth of any grave shall be 3.20 metres.
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No unwalled grave may be re-opened within fourteen
years after the burial of the body of a person of twelve years of
age, or over, or within eight years after the burial of the body of
a child under twelve years of age, unless to bury another member of
the same family in which case a layer of earth not less than 0.15
metres thick shall be left undisturbed above the previously buried
coffin. When any grave is re-opened for the purpose of making another
burial therein no person shall disturb any human remains interred
therein or remove there from any soil which is offensive
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Coffins of wood or wood pulp materials only shall
be used in graves where the exclusive right of burial has not been
purchased.
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No mound will be permitted over any new grave once
the ground has settled.
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(a) No memorial shall be erected without the prior
approval of the details thereof by the Council, application for which
shall be made on the appropriate form to be obtained from and submitted
to the Head of Property and Procurement together with a drawing thereof
showing dimensions, position within the grave space, method of construction,
proposed inscriptions, method of fixing and description of the type
of material(s) to be used and shall be in accordance with the "NAMM"
specifications for the construction and building of memorials as contained
within Appendix A of these regulations.
With regards to kerbs and enclosures the following will apply:-
(i) On any new grave number no kerb or enclosure will be permitted;
(ii) On a grave which is re-opened no new kerb or enclosure will be
permitted;
(iii) Existing kerbs or enclosures which in the opinion of the Council
have deteriorated through age and are beyond reasonable repair must
be removed and not replaced.
(b) Applications for approval of memorials must be made at least 14
days before erection.
(c) The person who makes the application shall in his application
authorise the Council:-
(i) To remove the memorial if, in the Council's opinion, it has become
unsafe or dilapidated or is not kept in proper repair and condition,
and
(ii) To dispose of the same at the expiration of 12 months from the
date of removal without being liable to account for the proceeds of
the disposal if within that period no application for the return of
the memorial is received by the Council from the person who provided
it.
(d) The Council reserves the right to limit the period during which
any memorials may remain erected on a grave to 100 years from the
date of the Deed of Grant. Any monumental erection placed on a grave
without the prior approval of the Council under the hand of the Head
of Property and Procurement may be removed following notice to the owner
of the grave.
(e) All memorials, tablets and gravestones, and all places of burial
shall be kept tidy and in good repair at the expense of the owner
of the Deed of Grant.
(f) Monuments other than removable vases measuring less than 0.30
metres in height, may not be erected on unpurchased graves, first
opened after 1 April 1974.
(g) Tablets in the Garden of Remembrance at Deal Cemetery are to be
of bronze and 15cm x 10cm in size.
The Remembrance Plot number to be placed on the tablet.
Memorials in the Children's Gardens of our cemeteries are to be of
bronze or other non-ferrous metals, or of stone not exceeding 25cm
x 25cm in size. A rose bowl of a max of 100mm diameter may be placed
on the plaque in the Childrens Gardens. Plots are in St. Mary's Cemetery,
Hamilton Road and at Boatman's Hill Cemetery. These are in the form
of 30cm wide borders.
(h) Tablets in the Ashes plots may not exceed 25cm x 25cm at Barham
Downs Cemetery, Aylesham, Boatman's Hill Cemetery, Sandwich and St.
Mary's Cemetery, Dover. The Ashes plots at Hamilton Road Cemetery
take the form of a rose walk.
(i) Memorials in the cremation graves may not exceed 75cm wide x 60cm
high, with a base no greater than 30cm wide.
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All memorials and other erections shall be constructed
and installed so as to comply in all respects with:-
(a) The details approved by the Council pursuant to Regulation 14(a)
and
(b) The Council's Specification for the Construction and Installation
of Memorials as detailed at Appendix A.
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No memorial or other erection shall be installed
in a cemetery other than by a memorial mason approved by the Council.
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Any memorial removed from a grave which is re-opened
shall be replaced as soon as practicable; existing kerbs so removed
shall be temporarily replaced within one month and permanently replaced
within six months.
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Arrangements can be made for the maintenance of
graves and full particulars can be obtained on application to the
offices referred to in Regulation 1.
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Floral decorations may be placed on any grave.
Where such floral decorations are seen to be decaying then the Council
reserves the right to remove and dispose of them. No planting shall
be undertaken in any headstone border nor shall the width of the headstone
border be altered in any way.
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With the exception of floral decorations and approved
receptacles for containing water nothing movable shall be placed over
any grave or vault without the consent of the Council.
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Anything placed or planted on any grave space
other than a memorial approved in accordance with Regulation 14, becomes
the property of the Council, which reserves the right to dig up remove
and dispose of the same, without being liable to account for the proceeds
of disposal.
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If any damage or injury shall be done to the grass
shrubs, roads, buildings, monument or other erections by the bringing
in or removal of any materials, the execution of any work or otherwise,
the person or persons causing such damage or injury shall meet the
expense of making good the same.
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(i) No person shall:-
(a) Wilfully create any disturbance in a cemetery;
(b) Commit any nuisance in a cemetery;
(c) Take a dog into any cemetery;
(d) Wilfully interfere with any burial taking place in a cemetery;
(e) Wilfully interfere with any grave, walled grave or vault, any
tombstone or other memorial, or any flowers or plants or any such
matter;
(f) Play any game or sport in a cemetery;
(g) Deposit any litter or rubbish within the cemetery grounds other
than into the receptacles provided;
(ii) No person not being an officer or servant of the Council or another
person so authorised by or on behalf of the Council shall enter or
remain in a cemetery at any hour when it is closed to the public.
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No memorials of a height exceeding 0.15 metres
are to be erected on the piece of ground in front of the Zeebrugge
plot in St. James Cemetery.
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All works of whatever nature shall be carried out
to the entire satisfaction of the appropriate representative of the
Head of Property and Procurement.
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(a) The owner of the exclusive right of burial
in a particular grave space may assign the right by Deed or bequeath
it by will.
(b) The Head of Property and Procurement shall be notified of any proposed
transfer, and the grant of exclusive right of burial relating to the
grave space concerned shall be forwarded to the said Director so that
an endorsement of the transfer may be made thereon.
(c) The grant of the exclusive right of burial in a grave shall automatically
confer on the registered owner of the exclusive right of burial the
right to erect and maintain one memorial in the earth at the head
of the grave, subject to the provisions of these Regulations.
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A register of graves is kept at the offices referred
to under Regulation No. 1 in which the name and age of the person
buried in each grave and the date of each interment is duly registered.
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On receipt of an appropriate account, all fees
and charges must be paid to the Treasurer, Dover District Council,
White Cliffs Business Park, Whitfield, Dover.
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After interment no body shall be removed unless
there has been produced to the Head of Property and Procurement the
faculty or licence required by law.
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Employees of the Council shall not be employed
by private persons to carry out any private works whatsoever within
the Cemetery.
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No instruments of music, flags or banners will
be allowed to be taken into the Cemetery without special permission;
except a Military or Salvation Army funeral.
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The Statutory Regulations and Maps required to
be maintained by the Council are available for public inspection by
prior arrangement at the offices and at the times indicated in Regulation
1 of these Regulations.
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The Council reserves the right at any time to
vary these Regulations.
