Minutes Burial Ground September 2025
Minutes of the Burial Ground Committee Meeting held on Monday 29th September 2025 at 12pm in the Reading Room, Church Street, Barrowby
Councillors in attendance:
Michael Brown, Jo Footitt, Tim Lees (Chair), Anna McConnell-Good
Officer in attendance:
Claire Vink (Parish Clerk)
No members of the public were present. The meeting started at 12pm.
1. WELCOME (25/001)
The Chair welcomed members to the meeting.
2. APOLOGIES (25/002)
Cllr Paul Brown sent his apologies
3. DECLARATIONS OF PECUNIARY INTEREST (25/003)
a) No declarations of members’ interests were made
b) No dispensations needed to be considered
4. MINUTES (25/004)
It was RESOLVED to approve and sign the notes of the Burial Ground Committee meeting held on 27th June 2025.
5. SITE VISIT (25/005)
a) A verbal update on the Burial Ground site visit on 4th August was received. Work has been carried out however Cllr Lees noted that further infill work and reseeding was needed. Cllr Michael Brown offered support with this. Action: Clerk to contact Linnels regarding a wobbly head stone which needs securing.
b) It was RESOLVED to approve the purchase of required maintenance equipment to include but not exclusive to: a wheelbarrow, rake, spade, shovel and a broom. It was RESOLVED to approve a budget of £150. Action: Cllr Lees to purchase equipment
c) It was RESOLVED not to approve the bench policy at this time. Recommendation: to remove requirement to chose between 4 benches. Consider separate bench policy for PC and Burial Ground.
6. BURIAL GROUND MATTERS ARISING
a) It was NOTED that there has been 1 burial since the last meeting. It was RESOLVED to approve that any further ERoB will be offered a choice of plot within the next 2 available rows.
b) As per minute point 5 a.
c) A verbal update on the consecrated area of the Burial Ground was received. The diocese has been contacted regarding options. Action: Clerk to follow this up.
d) The requests for 2 benches were considered. The request to change the metal bench by the fence to a wooden memorial bench was RESOLVED to approve pending design and wording approval by the committee. The request by the family of the late publican of the White Swan was considered. As he is not interred in the Burial Ground it was considered more appropriate to take the request to full Parish Council to resolve with the possibility of siting the bench outside the Reading Room in line of site of the Pub. Action: Clerk to add to Parish Council Agenda for October.
7. BURIAL GROUND BUDGET
a) It was RESOLVED to approve the following risks / issues for the Burial Ground Prioritisation matrix: Double depth testing, trees (especially the diseased ash trees) Consecration vs unconsecrated ground, natural burial ground, fence, path maintenance (to include path through church to Burial Ground), years left / available space, contingency (possible purchase of neighbouring field), gravestones, uneven ground, benches (maintenance and replacement), grass cutting, leaves, ground maintenance, grave digger, open graves, digging graves (to include consideration of weather conditions prohibiting depth) Action: Clerk to work with Mr Thomas to populate the prioritisation matrix
b) It was RESOLVED to not approve the proposed burial ground budget as provided by the RFO. Action: Cllr Lees to meet with RFO to discuss figures and agree the burial ground budget to be presented to the finance committee.
8. CAPTURE OF FUTURE ISSUES FOR DISCUSSION / AGENDA ITEMS
Training options for Clerk and Committee members.
9. DATE FOR NEXT MEETING (25/012)
15th December 2025 at 11am in the Reading Room.
The meeting closed at 1.15