Improvements to cemeteries in St Albans District now underway
The installation of a garden of rest at Westfield Road Cemetery in Harpenden has been made a priority in a £730,000 programme of improvements.
This work will include the refurbishment of the existing memorial wall and a new area for the scattering of ashes.
St Albans City and District Council’s cemeteries team is in contact with residents who want to lay the ashes of loved ones to rest at the site and have set up a waiting list.
The enhancement is one of a series of projects the Council is undertaking at its three cemeteries with the other two located at Hatfield Road and London Road, St Albans.
An update on the works was given to the Public Realm Committee at its September meeting.
Councillors were also told of the progress being made at London Road where surveys are being undertaken to prepare for its new garden of rest.
Preparatory work is also underway to create a new Muslim burial area which may include vaults or chambers.
At Hatfield Road, new seeds sown this year should create an attractive wildflower area to enhance the Green Meadow burial area over the next two years.
In an area of the cemetery adjacent to the Alban Way, a woodland walk is being developed.
Alternative memorials, including bird and bat boxes, are to be made available to commemorate loved ones.
In addition, the cemeteries team is currently sourcing suppliers for new benches and litter bins for all three sites.
The improvement programme followed a review of the cemeteries by the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management as well as a public consultation.
Among those who continue to be consulted are the leaders of faith groups, funeral directors, other local authorities and community groups including the Gypsy and Traveller Empowerment Charity.
Councillor Helen Campbell, Chair of the Public Realm Committee, inspected the Westfield Road Cemetery and said:
I am pleased with the progress that is being made to ensure our cemeteries are kept to an extremely high standard for the benefit of our residents.
We decided last year that multiple improvements were necessary to better meet the needs of our diverse communities in the future and we are now well underway in implementing our proposals.
These include work that will allow us to offer eco-friendly meadow burials, an increasingly popular choice, and a wider range of memorials for a loved one.
Our various projects will also enhance the overall presentation of the cemeteries and maintain them as a quiet place for reflection and remembrance.
Photos: top, Cllr Helen Campbell, left, is shown round Westfield Road Cemetery in Harpenden by Cemeteries manager Kate Mercer; bottom, Cllr Campbell views the site of the planned garden of rest.
Contact for the media: John McJannet, Principal Communications Officer, 01727 819533, john.mcjannet@stalbans.gov.uk.