Cemetery bins removed for cost-saving trial

The Vale Parochial Cemetery Committee, which is separate and acts independently from the douzaine, said it had taken the decision reluctantly because it was faced with increased costs for disposing of the waste in the bins, plus having to sort the contents, and wanted to try to restrict any further increases in parish rates.

Maintaining and providing the cemeteries cost more than £80,000 last year, with £55,000 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.

Running the cemetery is the sole responsibility of the Vale Parochial Cemetery Committee, which was established for that purpose under an ancient Order of the Royal Court (Ordinance), and this means the Constables and Douzaine have no say over how it discharges its mandate. 

The Constables are bound by law only to present an annual budget prepared by the VPCC to ratepayers for approval and have no direct input on what's being proposed. 

Cemetery Committee president Denise Cohu said that the decision to remove the bins would be reviewed in six to eight weeks and she hoped people understood the need for the trial.

"In effect, we're asking people if they could please take away any waste they may have with them because the cost of us clearing the bins is now becoming prohibitive," she said.

Much of what has to be cleared by the committee is general waste and dead flowers and wrappings and it hopes people will be able to take that home with them after visiting the cemetery.

• The committee is responsible for a total area of 15 vergees (pictured below) accommodating more than 3,500 graves or plots spread over seven separate cemeteries with three gardens of rest.