'Flower bin' trial removal has been made permanent

"We had very few complaints when we introduced the trial towards the end of last year, so we decided it was the right thing to make the removal permanent," said Cemetery Committee president Denise Cohu.

"When we said that people could dispose of flowers and foliage on the compost heap we have there and we were only asking them to take home plastic wrapping and other waste, most understood what were were trying to achieve," she said.

Maintaining and providing the cemeteries cost more than £100,000 last year, with £70,000 coming directly from ratepayers via the Vale Constables, and the cemetery committee said it needed to do everything it could do to hold down further increases.

Responsibility
Running the cemetery is the responsibility of the Vale Parochial Cemetery Committee, which was established for that purpose under an ancient Order of the Royal Court (Ordinance).

The committee is in charge of a total area of 15 vergees accommodating more than 3,500 graves or plots spread over seven separate cemeteries with three gardens of rest.

• The compost area is to the left of the sexton's office, the green building pictured at the back of the above image.