Headstone review after grave concerns

The work has been carried out in recent years amid fears the structures could topple over.

But the policy has led to protests from bereaved families who claim it’s desecrating historic sites.

The gravestone of James Hogg, author of 1824’s Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner, was one of 48 laid on the grass in Ettrick Kirkyard after failing safety tests carried out by council staff.

That move prompted one villager to remark that the graveyard “now looks as though vandals have run amok”.

Scottish Borders Council manages 155 cemeteries and burial grounds across the region, of which 146 fall under a programme of routine Headstone Safety Inspection.

While Government guidance states lairholders are responsible for maintenance and repair of their headstones and memorials, SBC as a burial authority has a legal obligation to ensure public safety and, as far as is reasonably practicable, that cemeteries are maintained in a safe condition.

Now a range of proposals are to be adopted following a review of operations, including trialling works to re-erect any headstones laid flat at Lennel Cemetery near Coldstream.

Thus far SBC has tested 38,742 of the 46,435 headstones it oversees, with 1,856 laid flat.

In a report to be presented to full council next week, John Curry, the council’s director of environment and infrastructure, said: “The laying flat of headstones is only carried out where it is deemed essential to immediate public safety.

“Nationally, and locally, the practice of making safe headstones by laying flat has been subject to representations made via elected members. In response to a recent complaint at Lennel Cemetery, Scottish Borders Council has paused the current Headstone Safety Inspection Programme and undertaken a review of practices.

“It is proposed that a new Headstone Safety Policy is developed for adoption by council, setting clearly our service standards, risk management and rationale for future headstone safety inspections. This gives members, communities and officers a clear, mandated, point of reference against which progress, issues and mitigations can be reported.

“It is proposed that the policy includes the development of a Monumental Mason Registration Scheme requiring all new headstones to be pinned in.

“In order to develop a better understanding of some of the costs, complexities and mitigations involved, it is proposed to undertake a Headstone Reinstatement Pilot Study at Lennel Cemetery to re-erect 81 headstones that have been laid flat.

“In Lennel Cemetery 717 were tested overall with 94 failures. Of these 13 headstones were socketed and 81 have been laid flat. To date we have been advised that seven of those laid flat are in the process of being re-erected privately by families using independent reputable monumental masons – as has been done at cemeteries across the region.

“Any headstones that are socketed into the ground will be left as they are; the repair works will focus only on those headstones that have had to be laid flat to make safe.”