Cemetery Regs Updated Feb 2025

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North Petherton Town Council

Cemetery Rules & Regulations
These Rules & Regulations have been made by North Petherton Town
Council for the management of the Cemetery (Heathfield Cemetery, Old
Road, North Petherton) and to maintain its appearance as a place of
peace and tranquillity.
1. Notice of Interment
Notice of interment of a body or ashes must be given to the Town Clerk by the
Funeral Director at least two clear days, excluding Sundays, prior to the
interment.
2. Hours of Interment
Bodies may be interred in the Traditional and Lawn sections between the
hours of 10.00 am and 3.30 pm from 1st April until 30th September and
between the hours of 10.00 am and 3.00 pm from 1st October until 31st March.
Times for the interment of ashes, in existing grave or in the Garden of Rest,
are at the discretion of the Cemetery Contractor in liaison with the Minister of
Religion and Funeral Director concerned.
There may be burials or interment of ashes on Saturdays, Sundays and Public
and Bank Holidays.
3. Fees
All fees must be paid to the Town Clerk on giving notice of interment of a body
or ashes. A separate table of fees is published and is displayed on the
Cemetery notice board.
4. Location of Grave Spaces and Grants of Exclusive Right of Burial
The selection of the place of interment or purchase of an Exclusive Right of
Burial is, in all cases, to be approved by the Town Council.
5. Depth of Graves
Every grave shall be a minimum of 1.5 metres (5 feet) in depth.
6. Burials
Burials will not be allowed in the Chapel, within 3 metres (10 feet) of the
Chapel walls or within 0.6 metres (2 feet) of the boundary fences.
7. Gravestones, Monuments, Tablets or Memorials
Gravestones, monuments, tablets or memorials of any kind can only be
erected or placed on plots where an Exclusive Right of Burial has been
granted and are subject to the prior approval of the Town Council.
Photos and QR codes may be incorporated into the memorial.

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A copy of every proposed inscription and a drawing showing the form and
dimensions of every memorial to be erected must be sent to the Town Clerk at
least ten days prior to installation and accompanied by the correct fee.
Installation of, and works to, gravestones, memorials etc. should be arranged
so that they do not impact on burials and interments taking place in the
cemetery. At least two days notice should therefore be given to the Council
before any such works take place.
Gravestones shall be installed in accordance with NAMM specifications.
A notice setting out what can be placed on graves in each Section of the
Cemetery is published separately and is appended.
8. Planting of Trees & Shrubs
Planting of trees and shrubs in the Cemetery is subject to the prior approval of
the Town Council and any tree or shrub planted without approval will be
removed. No planting of any kind is permitted in the Lawn and Garden of Rest
sections and any plants will be removed.
9. Flower Vases & Containers
No makeshift containers or domestic vases shall be used for flowers and any
such containers will be removed.
9(a)
In the Lawn section flowers and temporary vases are allowed to remain on
graves for a period of six months whilst the soil settles. After this the grave is
levelled and sown with grass seed by the Cemetery Contractor. Once the
grave has been seeded only a standard Lawn-type memorial stone, as
specified elsewhere, may be placed on the grave.
10. Cremation with a Religious Service
When a cremation has taken place with a religious service a Minister may be
in attendance at the interment of ashes.
11. Maintenance of Graves
Maintenance of graves can be arranged. Requests for this service should be
made in writing to the Town Clerk.
12. Dogs
With the exception of Guide Dogs, dogs are not allowed in the Cemetery.
13. Damage
Persons causing damage to graves, monuments, kerbstones, memorials,
boundary walls, fencing, pathways, buildings or grass will be liable for the full
Updated Feb 2025 (to incorporate changes agreed by General Purposes Committee
September 2024)

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cost of repair or reinstatement. The Town Council can accept no liability for
damage.
14. Amendment of Rules & Regulations
These rules and regulations are subject to amendment by the Town Council
without notice.
15. Ornaments & Decorations
No additional ornament or decoration shall placed on or fixed to any part of
any grave, monument or memorial whether temporarily or permanently in any
section of the Cemetery. Any such ornament or decoration will be removed.
Examples of ornaments or decorations include, windmills, wind chimes,
garden and other ornaments such as figures, models and statuettes. This list
is not intended to be comprehensive but is included to provide guidance. As
with all the rules and regulations made by the Town Council for the
management of the Cemetery the purpose of these prohibitions is to preserve
its peace, tranquillity and dignity.
16. Precedence
The existence in the Cemetery of graves, tombstones or monuments that do
not comply with these rules and regulations cannot be regarded as a
precedent.

Contact
Town Clerk: Miss Joy Norris
Postal address: North Petherton Town Council, The Town
Council Office, the Small Hall, North
Petherton Community Centre, Fore
Street, North Petherton TA6 6QA
Tel: 01278 574074
Email: joy.norris@northpethertontowncouncil.gov.uk

Updated Feb 2025 (to incorporate changes agreed by General Purposes Committee
September 2024)

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LAWN SECTION
In this section of the Cemetery only standard “Lawn-type”
monuments or gravestones not exceeding 1 metre (3 feet 6
inches) in height are allowed. These may incorporate one or two
vases in the base.
Photos and QR codes may be incorporated into the memorial.
In this section of the Cemetery special attention is drawn to rules 7,
8, 9, 9(a), 11, 12 & 15.
In the Lawn Section of the Cemetery the monuments are arranged
in rows, back-to-back. This is a common practice in cemeteries
including those managed by the War Graves Commission.
Gravestones are monuments and are therefore not necessarily
“headstones” placed at the head of the grave in this section of the
Cemetery. This point was clarified with reference to The Ven. The
Archdeacon of Taunton in 2001.
If you have any doubt about these rules please contact the Town
Clerk, before the funeral if possible. The Town Clerk’s name and
contact details are given on page 3 of the Cemetery Rules and
Regulations above.

TRADITIONAL SECTION
Please note that all plots in the traditional section have been allocated.

Updated Feb 2025 (to incorporate changes agreed by General Purposes Committee
September 2024)

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In this section of the Cemetery standard grave furniture is allowed
as follows:
(a)

A flat stone not exceeding 2.5 metres by 1.25 metres (8
feet by 4 feet);

(b)

A footstone not exceeding 0.5 metres (1 foot 6 inches) in
height;

(c)

Kerb or border stones enclosing a space not exceeding
2.5 metres by 1.25 metres (8 feet by 4 feet);

(d)

Kerb or border stones enclosing a space exceeding 2.5
metres by 1.25 metres (8 feet by 4 feet);

(e)

A vase not exceeding 0.3 metres (15 inches) in height
incorporated into (c) or (d) above;

(f)

An open book or tablet incorporated into (c) or (d) above.

Photos and QR codes may be incorporated into the memorial.
In this section of the Cemetery special attention is drawn to rules 7,
8, 9, 11, 12 & 15.
If you have any doubt about these rules please contact the Town
Clerk, before the funeral if possible. The Town Clerk’s name and
contact details are given on page 3 of the Cemetery Rules and
Regulations above.

Updated Feb 2025 (to incorporate changes agreed by General Purposes Committee
September 2024)

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GARDEN OF REST SECTION
In the Garden of Rest section of the Cemetery only standard
plaques (or memorial tablets) and vases (including double vases)
are allowed and no other ornament is permitted.
Photos and QR codes may be incorporated into the plaque / tablet
/ vase.
Vases and plaques must be purchased through the Town Council.
Inscriptions are subject to the Town Council’s approval.
In this section of the Cemetery special attention is drawn to rules 7,
8, 9, 11, 12 & 15.
If you have any doubt about these rules please contact the Town
Clerk, before the funeral if possible. The Town Clerk’s name and
contact details are given on page 3 of the Cemetery Rules and
Regulations above.

Updated Feb 2025 (to incorporate changes agreed by General Purposes Committee
September 2024)