Frequently Asked Questions with Purchasing a Burial Plot
Q. What does the Interment fee pay for?
A. The interment fee covers the administration for organising the booking of the interment, the preparation and completion of the interment at the time of burial (committal), and the maintenance of statutory registers and records following the interment.
Q. How many interments can my burial plot accommodate?
A. Unless otherwise stated at the time of booking the interment, all new burial plots shall be excavated at double depth, subject to the casket or coffin size; the Cemeteries Regulations will provide you with further details pertaining to your chosen burial plot. This means that 2 persons can be buried in one burial plot.
Q. What entitlements do I have when I purchase a grave or cremated remains?
A. The purchase of a grave or cremated remains plot means you purchase the right to bury (inter) and attain the right to install a memorial stone on the plot for the duration of the lease. The right is known as the Exclusive Right of Burial.
Q. Do I need to purchase a grave or cremated remains plot?
A. All graves and cremated remains plots need to be purchased before any interment can take place. This can be purchased some time before the interment, known as a pre-purchase, or at the time of booking an interment (burial). The purchase fee covers the administration for processing the purchase, the cost for maintaining burial plot for the period of time purchased, and the use of the burial plot for the period of time purchased.
Q. What is an Exclusive Right of Burial (EROB)?
A. An Exclusive Right of Burial is the right to use the plot for the period of time stated in the Regulations which are in place at the time of your purchase. The Regulations at your time of purchase supersede any previous Regulations in place.
Q. How long is an Exclusive Right of Burial valid for?
A. The purchase of a Exclusive Right of Burial is valid for the period of time as stated in the current Regulations at the time of your purchase; currently this is for 50 years.
Q. Do I own the land of my grave or cremated remains plot?
A. When you purchase the Exclusive Right of Burial you do not own the land. You are only purchasing the rights to use your burial plot, which is currently for 50 years from the time of your purchase. Your Deed of Grant clarifies your date of purchase and date of expiry.
Q. What is a Deed of Grant?
A. A Deed of Grant is the legal document which records the purchase of the Exclusive Right of Burial, lists the Holder(s), the burial plot details and the length of tenure with expiry date. The Deed is proof of your rights to the plot and should be kept safe for future proof needs. All of the grand Holders must agree to all future interments.
Q. How many people (Holders) can be listed on the Deed of Grant?
A. We recommend up to three people attain the Exclusive Right of Burial; all holders must agree to give consent for future interments and memorial applications on the purchased plot. All holders need to be aged 18 years or over.
Q. When do I receive my Deed of Grant?
A. Your Deed of Grant is issued after the first interment when you purchase the plot at the time of the burial. If you have pre-purchased the burial plot, the Deed of Grant will be issued to you to present to the funeral director at time of booking the interment (burial). Please keep the Deed of Grant in a safe place as reissuing a mislaid or lost Deed of Grant will incur an administration fee.
Q. When can I purchase and install a memorial stone?
A. With cremated remains you can install your memorial stone as soon as you receive your Deed of Grant. The grant needs to be presented to your registered stonemason as proof of your right to instruct your memorial requirements. For all graves we advise families to wait 6 months for the ground to settle before installing a new memorial stone. All memorial stones must only be installed by a registered memorial mason, and must be installed in accordance with current BRAMM and NAMM standards
Q. Can I purchase a kerbed (traditional) grave?
A. No, we do not allow these in our Brent Road cemetery, the only cemetery with burial plots available.
Q. What else can I place on my cremated remains or burial plot?
A. Floral memorabilia, such as vases (not glass) can be part of the memorial stone on a burial plot or cremated remains plot only. No freestanding memorabilia are permitted. This is to ensure the grassed area can be maintained. All unauthorised memorabilia (see the Regulations for clarification) will be removed and placed in a safe place for collection. We do not allow any other types of memorabilia in our cemeteries .Any memorabilia left on graves or cremated remains plots or in nearby trees in the cemetery will be removed and stored in a box. After a maximum period of 2 months, the cemeteries maintenance team will remove and dispose of memorabilia as part of routine maintenance works.