At the Dumfries and Galloway Council meeting on the 16 December 2021 Councillors considered a report on a project which is assessing and making safe headstones and memorials in its 215 cemeteries across the region.
As experience in this work is developing – in our Council and across all Scottish local authorities – a number of improvements are already being implemented and Councillors considered these actions in detail. They covered a number of different aspects of the project including communications, listed building consent and the methods available to make the headstones and memorials safe.
In view of the importance of this issue, Councillors agreed that a further report is submitted to the next meeting of the Communities Committee (on 3 February 2022) about the options that can used to make safe headstones and memorials that have been assessed as needing work.
Elaine Murray, Leader of the Council and chair of the Full Council meeting commented “The safety of visitors and staff in our cemeteries is of great importance to our Council and that is a priority for this project. We recognise that communications with families, local residents and visitors needs to be better, especially as this is an emotive issue for people, and so we approved a series of immediate improvements. Councillors also want to have a deeper understanding of the different methods available to making headstones and memorials safe. A report is coming to the next meeting of the Communities Committee to get that detail which will ensure that the work in the remaining cemeteries is carried out as soon as possible, with sensitivity and care, and we have the assurance that it is in line with best practice.”
