Cemetery

What 3 Words – Locations & Directions

How To Organise & Arrange A Burial – Contents

1. General information about how to apply
2. Application For Exclusive Right Of Burial
3. Application for interment
4. Application for memorial
5. Cemetery Fees and who to pay
6. Cemetery Regulations
7. Grave Digging Policy & Procedures
8. Management of Memorials Policy

1. General information about how to apply

St Erth Parish Council is the Burial Authority for St Erth Parish and owns and maintains the lawn cemetery at Chenhalls Road, providing for the interment of coffins and ashes.

The cemetery is open to interments for both residents of the Parish and for non-residents. Current fees can be found here.  Higher fees are charged to non-residents.  All burials and memorials are subject to the current Cemetery Regulations.

All enquiries and applications must be made through the Parish Council – contact the clerk, Fiona Drew, by email at clerk@sterth-pc.gov.uk or call 01736 757575 (answerphone).

To apply for an interment or to erect a memorial, forms can be downloaded below and returned by email or post to the Clerk.

Please note that application forms and appropriate fees must be received, and permission given, by the Clerk at least 48 hours before any interment takes place, or before the placing of memorials or additional inscriptions on memorials.

2. Application For Exclusive Right Of Burial

At the meeting on 1st August 2023, the Parish Council resolved to no longer offer the option to reserve a plot in the Chenhalls Road Cemetery, St Erth by removing the ability to purchase an Exclusive Right of Burial (ERoB) in advance.  This decision will not affect anyone who has already pre-purchased an ERoB and your reserved plot will remain as outlined in the certificate that you hold.

3. Application for interment

Download, complete and submit this form to apply for an interment.  Please refer to the Cemetery Regulations when completing this form. Please complete in either black ink or typed and email or post the application to the Clerk to ensure receipt three working days prior to proposed date of interment.

4. Application for memorial

Download, complete and submit this form to apply for a memorial works permit. Please note that a permit is required for all memorial works in the cemetery.  The right to erect a memorial is subject to a 50 year lease, which can be extended subject to the memorial being inspected and found to be safe and a renewal payment made.

This application should be accompanied by the relevant fee, payable either by BACS transfer or cheque made out to St Erth Parish Council.

5. Current Fees

(A pdf version of this fee policy is available for download)

Exclusive Right of Burial – 50 years

• Grave Plot – £450.00
• Cremation Plot – £200.00

Interment

• Child stillborn or aged up to 12 years – No charge
• 12 to 16 years – £100.00
• Person over 16 years – £250.00
• Cremated remains – £100.00

Memorial Stones Permit

• Headstone –  £100.00
• Memorial stone for cremated remains – £75.00
• Additional inscription – £25.00

Other Charges

• Administration Fee – £10.00
• Transfer of Exclusive Right of Burial – £50.00
• Exhumations – Price on application

Where the person is not a resident of St Erth Parish all of the above fees (apart from the administration fee will be doubled).  All fees should be made payable to St Erth Parish Council, either by BACS transfer or by cheque.  The interment fee does not include the cost of digging the grave.

6. Cemetery Regulations

(A pdf version of these regulations are available for download here)

Introduction

These regulations apply to Chenhalls Road Cemetery, St Erth (the Cemetery) which is owned by St Erth Parish Council (the Council).

Contact Details

All funeral bookings, general enquiries and comments regarding the Cemetery should be directed to the Parish Clerk at clerk@sterth-pc.gov.uk or by calling 01736 757575 (answerphone) or 07563 164661.

General Regulations

Chenhalls Road Cemetery, St Erth, is a lawn cemetery and its surface will be kept as level as possible, free from grave mounds and any planting.

No interment shall take place, no memorial shall be erected and no additional inscription shall be made on any memorial, without the prior permission of the Council.

Apart from existing reserved grave spaces, the allocation of plots is in strict sequence based upon the cemetery plan maintained by the Council.

The Cemetery will be open to visitors at all times for the purpose of visiting or tending a grave, but the Council reserves the right to close it, as may be necessary, at any time, for repairs or in the interests of public safety.

Interments

Applications should be made at least 5 working days before the intended date of interment (not including weekends and public holidays).

A fully completed Notice of Interment, and, where relevant, confirmation of pre-purchasing of grave, should be emailed to the Clerk, no later than 72 hours prior to the intended interment.

If the grave is purchased and is to be reopened for a second interment, the written permission of the registered grave owner (i.e. named on the Exclusive Right of Burial), must be given.  If the registered owner is the deceased already interred in the grave, then it will be necessary for a transfer of ownership to be carried out before permission can be given for the grave to be re-opened.

More information on Transfer of Exclusive Right of Burial can be obtained from the Clerk.

A Certificate for Burial (green form), Certificate of Cremation or a Coroner’s Order for Burial, whichever is applicable, must be returned to the Clerk prior to the funeral.

Fees

Charges are shown on a separate sheet.

Fees will be higher for anyone not a resident in St Erth.  For this purpose, a resident is defined as a person who fulfils one of the following criteria: a) resides within the parish of St Erth at date of death b) was a resident of the parish of St Erth within one year of date of death c) was a resident of the parish of St Erth at the time they purchased an Exclusive Right of Burial.

Fees do not include the cost of grave digging.

All fees relating to interments should preferably be paid by BACS (details available from the Clerk).  If it is not possible to pay by BACS, cheques should be made payable to St Erth Parish Council and accompany the Notice of Interment form.

All fees must be paid in full to the Council in advance of any interment or works to memorials being undertaken.

Exclusive Right of Burial

The Cemetery consists wholly of ‘private’ graves meaning an exclusive right of burial must be purchased immediately prior to an interment taking place.  This will allow a memorial to be placed on the grave (subject to a further application and permission from the Council).

Each plot can accommodate two interments and the Exclusive Right lasts for 50 years.

Ownership of Exclusive Rights does not imply ownership of the land itself or the right to carry out any particular activity on the grave plot.  The ownership of the cemetery land including the grave surface remains in the ownership of the Council.

Any changes to the Exclusive Right of Burial (Deed of Grant) – e.g. change of name, address, ownership must be advised to the Clerk and accompanied by the relevant paperwork.

It is important to retain the Grant in a secure place as it is the only legal document held by the owner confirming their entitlement to the burial rights.

Memorials

The Council has adopted a Management of Memorials Policy which deals with current and future memorial installations, safety inspections and making safe unstable memorials.  Monumental Masons carrying out work in the burial grounds must comply with this Policy.

A minimum of six months should elapse between the burial of a person to be commemorated and erection of a memorial.  This does not apply to cremated remains.

A Memorial permit application must be completed and returned to the Clerk with the relevant fee and a permit issued, prior to any work being carried out.  Permits are granted for a period of 50 years in line with the Exclusive Right of Burial.

Permission is also required for additional inscriptions following a second interment.

As this is a lawn cemetery, horizontal surrounds, raised kerbs, railing, plain or coloured stone chippings, figures, bird baths, raised vases, flowers bowls, etc. are not permitted.

Headstones or crosses not exceeding 3’ in height, 2’ in width and 6” in thickness are permitted and may include a holder for flowers within those dimensions.

Memorials must comply with NAMM safety guidelines and a Monumental Mason will advise on this.

For cremated remains a Cornish Cremation Vase Block not exceeding 15” in height, 15” in width and 6” in thickness is permitted.

Grave space number, alongside the Monumental Mason’s company name (with no other details), must be engraved in small letters (not exceeding 1” high) on the rear.  

Care of Graves & Memorials

The owner of a memorial will be responsible for maintaining it in a clean and safe condition.  The Council shall not be held responsible for any damage to or caused by the memorial, howsoever incurred.

The Council will undertake routine safety checks on all memorials and will notify the grave owner at the latest registered address of any necessary works to make the memorial safe.  The grave owner will be given a reasonable period from the date of the letter to carry out the necessary repairs.  The Council reserves the right to temporarily make safe any memorials that pose a threat until such works are completed.  If the grave owner does not arrange for the repairs to be made the Council may repair or remove the memorial at the grave owner’s expense.

Grave spaces must be kept in a neat and tidy condition and all litter should be placed in the bin provided.  The Council reserves the right to remove any dead flowers, wreaths etc.

Flowers should only be placed in holders on the headstone and not directly on the graves.

No planting is permitted on graves and will be removed by the Council’s maintenance team.