Herne Bay family’s shock at Canterbury City Council’s £1,400 bill for right to repair headstone

A family had to pay more than £1,400 for the right to repair a headstone after council officials said the 50-year-old grave was never purchased.

Tina Grant says Canterbury Cemetery is a place of refuge where she can feel close to her mother and grandfather, who are buried together in a double plot.

Their shared headstone has been in a state of disrepair for decades. That’s why Ms Grant’s daughter, Amy Pratley, offered to repair the memorial as a gesture of kindness.

But after asking Canterbury City Council (CCC) for permission, they were told the cemetery team had no record of the Grants purchasing the land.

Local authorities said that before repairs could take place the family would have to pay £1,196 for 50 years of exclusive burial rights on the land and a further £207 for a permit.

Ms Grant’s first reaction was that the council was insensitive and “trying to make money off the dead”.

The grandmother-of-four from Herne Bay was convinced her family had bought the land – but the council has no record of the purchase.

“All we’re trying to do is repair the headstone to make it look more presentable,” she said.

“We feel the council is trying to make money off the deaths and is being completely unreasonable.”

Ms Grant fears many other families could find themselves in a similar situation.

The bill put forward by the council pushed the total cost of the project well beyond what Ms Pratley had saved.

The 31-year-old said: “Along with the cost of the repair, the total amount came to £1,983 – which is a ridiculous amount of money to spend, especially at Christmas. »

In a letter to the council’s cemeteries team, she urged officers to reconsider their decision: “Can’t an exception be made given that the headstone has been in place since 1972?”

“It makes no sense that a broken headstone can sit and not be repaired. »

After weeks of investigation by KentOnline, the city council explained more of the background of the matter and said its policy was an industry standard.

A spokesperson said: “The first and most important thing to emphasize is that there has been no wrongdoing either on the part of the council historically, or, as suggested to us, on the part of their loved ones many years ago.”

They explained that the burial of Ms Grant’s grandfather in 1972 took place in an “unpurchased grave, also known as a common or public grave”.

“In 1980, a second burial was authorized for (Ms Grant’s mother). Typically, a grave must be purchased to request burial in a specific grave,” the spokesperson said.

“However, as there was sufficient room in the grave, we believe that the council at the time authorized a second public burial in this grave, as a gesture of goodwill.

“What is clear is that the grave was never privately owned and, as such, there is no formal owner of the exclusive right to interment for this grave. These rights are necessary to authorize any future burial in this grave, and to authorize any associated memorial work.

The council added that at some point between 1972 and 2011 a gravestone was erected on the land, but technically this should not have happened as the gravestone had not been purchased.

Regulations were not as strict as today and it was not uncommon in the past for unpurchased graves to acquire headstones without the council’s knowledge.

CCC claims the headstone failed a safety check in 2011 and was temporarily staked and strapped, then in 2017 was laid flat, which is a “standard response” in the industry.

The authority says that because the grave does not belong to any owner and the memorial is technically unlicensed, it is unable to authorize work until burial rights for this grave are cleared. purchased.

The spokesperson said: “We would be going against standard industry practice and burial legislation if we waived this fee, and would also be giving preferential treatment to all other landowners. tombs who had to pay to buy their tomb in the cemetery, to acquire these rights.

“However, a possible alternative option which we would be happy to discuss with the family is the purchase of a revised 10-year lease for the grave, which would cost £239.

“This would cover them legally as it gives them valid burial rights and also gives them additional years if they need additional memorial work in the future.”

Ms Grant told KentOnline she appreciated the offer but was disappointed it took more than four weeks to get to the bottom of it.

“I’m glad they at least gave us the opportunity to buy a 10-year lease,” she said.

“And I’m glad we were able to bring this to people’s attention.”

“How many other people have loved ones buried in a common grave with a headstone that shouldn’t be there?”

Ms Pratley, however, believes the council should do more to help families like hers.

“I’m grateful they came up with a modified lease term, but it still doesn’t seem relevant,” she added.

“It makes me wonder why I’m being offered a 10-year lease on a grave when all I want to do is get the memorial repaired, which should take a day?

“The council needs to come up with grave rental duration options to allow for this sort of thing. This makes it seem like the council is trying to take advantage of death and the family members of those who have died.

The council spokesperson added: “We remain in communication with the family and are doing everything we can, with sensitivity and compassion, to resolve this matter. »