Health, News

Leader ‘angered’ by his own council department’s response to grave tribute policy change

By Lauren Monaghan, Junior Local Democracy Reporter

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The leader of Broxtowe Borough Council says he is ‘angered’ and ‘offended’ by his own authority’s bereavement service over its stance on changes to cemetery rules in the borough.

The council’s cabinet met yesterday (June 3) – when a report proposing future policy grave tribute items across the area’s cemeteries was due to be discussed.

The topic has caused controversy and protest since October 2024, when bereaved families started a petition in response to a July 2024 cabinet decision that led to “unofficial surrounds” being removed from some graves at council-run cemeteries.

Council reasoning for this decision was based on maintenance difficulties, health and safety and because the rules already existed, but had not always been enforced.

Cabinet documents from 2009 confirm rules were in place since then, but the bereavement service only updated its ‘Notice of Internment’ forms in 2023 to note prohibited grave items such as fencing, bedding plants, vases, windmills, glass and alcohol.

The controversy led to the council’s leader, Cllr Milan Radulovic (Brox Alliance) calling a 12-month suspension on the rules in October 2024 and setting up a working group with impacted families to find a “common sense” approach to rules.

Since then, updated rules have been developed and put to the council – but the council’s own bereavement service was proposing a rejection of them.

This was due to be discussed in yesterday’s meeting.

The new rules say hazardous items should be removed from all graves but say plots bought before August 2023 should remain similar and ones purchased after this date be allowed tribute items within 2.5 feet from the front edge of the headstone plinth.

In cabinet documents, the bereavement service rejected the new rules, saying some are ‘not acceptable’.

It says there have been reports from people with visual and physical disabilities who feel obstructed by decorative items.

One document reads: “The Council has inadvertently weakened its own position by granting a 12-month extension for the removal of decorative items and memorial trinkets despite clear, ongoing well-documented health, safety and accessibility risks associated with them.”

At yesterday’s meeting the council decided to delay discussion and vote on a later date – which has not been yet confirmed – to allow more time for councillors, officers and families to go through reports.

Responding to the bereavement service saying the council’s approach was ‘weakening’ its position, Leader Milan Radulovic told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he “totally refutes” the suggestion – and criticised the bereavement services department.

It is unusual for elected local councillors to publicly criticise the actions of unelected council workers in their own authority.

Cllr Radulovic said: “In fact, I’m angered by it [the report]. We are not there to represent the establishment to the people, we are there to represent the people to the establishment.

“I’m extremely aggrieved by it and I feel personally offended by it.”

Deputy Leader, Cllr Greg Marshall (Brox Alliance) echoed Cllr Radulovic’s ‘anger’.

Responding to the bereavement service’s proposals to reject the collaborative group’s plans for grave items, Cllr Marshall said: “We don’t think the balance [within the rejection report] is right. We are a listening council – in other issues as well.

“We want to ensure [the public] are fully listened to. If we just go through a tick box exercise, it reflects badly on us.”

In a joint statement, impacted and bereaved families involved in the collaborative group said: “We are obviously disappointed that a decision wasn’t made at tonight’s meeting.

“For all of us, this next month will continue to be filled with stress and worry, as the past several months have been.

“However, we respect that the cabinet would like more time to consider all of the information put forward, and we hope that the right decision will be made as a result.”

The council’s bereavement service has been contacted for further comment.