Greengate Lane Cemetery

Please can all forms and enquiries be emailed to: enquiries@birstallpc.org.uk

The Parish Council owns and maintains the Cemetery situated on Greengate Lane in Birstall.

Benches: The Council is not currently accepting any requests for new benches to be purchased and installed in the Cemetery. When the new Garden of Remembrance (opposite the Memorial wall) is completed the Council will install their own benches and allocate up to 5 spaces on each bench for an engraved memorial plaque to be fixed. More information will be provided closer to the completion of the work.

There are options available for an engraved memorial plaque to be fixed to the Totem Pole in the cemetery, contact the office for further details.

Dogs: are allowed in the Cemetery, but there is a Public Spaces Protection Order in place which requires all dogs to be kept on leads at all times and owners must pick up after their dogs and place the waste in the bins provided. To read the full document please click Here.

There are seven sections in the Cemetery:

1) Graves - for coffin burials (Ashes and Ash Caskets may be interred, but only after a
coffin burial)
2) The Woodland Walk - for the interment of cremated remains only, no Ash Casket
interments are permitted.
3) The Haven (FULL) - this is for the interment of Ash Caskets.
4) The Yew Haven - this is for the interment of Ash Caskets.
5) The Glade - this area is set aside for the Scattering of Ashes only, and is the
only service offered to non-residents of Birstall.
6) The Garden of Remembrance (FULL)- this is for the interment of Ash Caskets
7) The New Haven - this is for the internment of Ash Caskets

8) The New Garden of Remembrance - this is for the interment of Ash Caskets

If you would like to discuss the above options, availability and criteria, please contact the Council Office.

Cemetery Gates Opening Hours

April - September 0800-2130

October - March - 0800-1930

Burials and Ash Interments - 0900 - 1500

All children's (under 18 years of age) burial and cremation fees are free to bereaved parents and will be paid by the Children's Funeral Fund for England.

For further information:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/childrens-funeral-fund-for-england-launches-today

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/873179/The_Childrens_Funeral_Fund_for_England_Technical_Guidance.pdf

Interment of Birstall residents only will be accepted, or ex-residents who moved away within 7 years at the time of death whereby single fees will apply.

Interment of ex-residents who moved away between 7 and 15 years prior to the date of death will be accepted but treble fees will be applied.

Interment of ex-residents who have not lived in Birstall within 15 years at the time of death will not be accepted for new grave spaces but can go into an existing family grave and treble fees will apply.

Proof must be given of any person not living in Birstall at the date of death that he/she resided in the Parish within the previous 15 years before interment is accepted.

A grave space is for the interment of coffins. Ash Caskets or cremated remains will only be accepted if a coffin has already been interred.

Eco/Cardboard Coffins – will only be accepted if the grave is dug an extra one foot to allow for the insertion of board between two coffins. The cost of the extra digging and board to be met by the families concerned. If families are not prepared to meet the extra costs involved, then the Council will refuse to accept burial in an Eco/Cardboard coffin. American style Casket fees apply to cardboard coffins plus cost of board and extra digging.

All grave spaces will eventually be turfed over by the Council but bulbs etc. may be planted under the turf, however, these may be cut down during the mowing season.

How to reserve a Grave Space...

The same criteria as above applies to reserving a grave space. The Council retains the right to refuse to accept cremated remains in the grave space if it does not comply with the ruling and will cancel reservations of the grave space if the intention is to inter ashes only. If such a situation arises, any fees already paid will not be refunded.

Any grave space reserved remains the property of the Parish Council until such time as they are used for the interment of coffins.

The same Interment Criteria applies for the interment of cremated remains as it does for the coffin burials, but also includes the following:

Ash Casket interments are not permitted, cremated remains are interred directly into the earth.

The black granite kerbstone edgings can be purchased from a stonemason of your choice, the dimensions are available from the office. A blank kerbstone must be put in place on a reserved plot.

Flowers may only be placed in the integral containers within the kerbstones.

Bushes, shrubs and roses cannot be planted behind the kerbstones, although woodland bulbs and flowers may be planted up to one metre behind the kerbstones.

The same criteria applies as for Burials, but also includes the following:

This is a newly created area where cremated remains may be interred in Caskets. A particular sized cremation tablet is to be installed on the allocated plot. The cremation tablet may be purchased from a stonemason of your choice, please see dimensions and guidelines below.

Each plot is a double plot and can be used for two interments. the Parish Council realise that the stonemason may take some time to install the cremation tablet, it has therefore been agreed that you may still inter an ash casket before the stonemason has completed his work, upon receipt of a proof of purchase from the Stonemason before the date of the interment.

The cremation memorial tablet cannot exceed 600mm x 600mm x 100mm (MAX). There is a slab already in place on the plot for the stonemason to fix the cremation tablet to.

A blank cremation tablet must be ordered and put in place on reserved plots. Plots can be reserved for £154.00

Flowers may only be placed in the integral vases on the cremation tablet or laid flat on the stone; any other vases or monuments are not allowed and will be removed by the Sexton. Bushes, shrubs and plants cannot be planted in this area.

The Glade is a quiet and peaceful woodland area which is set aside purely for the scattering of ashes for both residents and non residents of Birstall.

Caskets are not acceptable, cremated remains are scattered directly onto the earth.

Bushes, shrubs and roses cannot be planted but woodland flowers and bulbs are allowed

It is permissible for the ashes of residents and non-residents of Birstall, however, the fees are trebled for non-residents (those who have lived out of the area for over 7 years) no ornaments, memorial's, wall plaques or vases are permitted in The Glade. all items left in this area will be removed by the sexton.