Technical Notes 2025, Issue 84 - Headstone and Memorial Safety Checks – Auld Aisle Cemetery
Report by:
Ann Davie, Chief Executive
TN Number:
084-25
Subject:
Headstone and Memorial Safety Checks – Auld Aisle Cemetery
Responsible Officer:
Stephen Egan - Team Leader Streetscene Technical
Publication:
This Technical Note will be published on the Council’s website following circulation to Members. Its contents may be disclosed or shared out with the Council.
The purpose of this Technical Note is to update Elected Members on the ongoing Headstone and Memorial Safety Inspection programme within Old Aisle Cemetery
A four-year Safety Inspection programme, which will cover a number of Cemeteries and Churchyards across East Dunbartonshire, commenced in November 2024 at the Old Aisle Cemetery, Kirkintilloch
Old Aisle has approximately 5000 headstones and memorials and these are a mix of both old and new, with some dating back over 100 years and others in the new sections only a few years old
The inspection process provides three outcomes/actions – reinspect within five years, reinspect in one year or take steps to make safe. The initial results within the Cemetery showed that the vast majority required reinspection within five years, a small minority required reinspection with a year and a similar number required action to make safe. The latter two categories accounted for approximately 5% of inspections in total
As inspections have progressed in the ‘newer’ parts of the Cemetery the level of headstones/memorials requiring action to make safe has increased significantly. In the main these are headstones/memorials that are smaller (usually below one metre in height) and pose less risk to public safety
A programme will commence in May to make safe the headstones/memorials that have been identified as requiring action. The vast majority of these stones are smaller in size and will be secured using stakes and banding material to ensure they do not pose any future safety risk
Although the headstones and memorials are the property of the lair holder, the Council has a duty of care to ensure that they do not pose a health and safety risk to anyone working within or visiting these locations. Signage will be erected across the cemetery advising visitors that if their headstone/memorial has been made safe then lair holders have a responsibility to carry out permanent repairs using a suitably qualified Stone Mason. Social media messaging will also be used to highlight the work being undertaken. The Cemetery will remain open during this process
In practice, making direct contact with lair holders about the work - whilst a desirable course of action - will be challenging. Even within the new part of the cemetery a significant number of the failures relate to headstones that are in excess of 25 years old with the potential that lair holders may have died or moved to new addresses during this lengthy time period. Officers will ensure that any direct contact is handled as sensitively as possible and will not make contact with any lair holders whose headstones have been erected more than 25 years ago
A further Technical Note will be distributed updating on progress during the summer period.
