What the service is
All memorials, including plaques, headstones, and monuments in our cemeteries must be authorised by the lair holder and approved by us.
Your headstone or memorial must be installed by a memorial mason on our qualified contractor list.
It's your choice if you want to install a headstone or memorial.
Who can get a headstone
The lair holder needs to apply for permission or approve an application on their behalf.
What you can use this for
Headstones and memorials must be installed to industry standards and will be included in our memorial safety inspection programme.
The lair holder owns the memorials and headstones on their lair and is liable for all associated costs.
One floral container (glass or ceramic is prohibited) or a plaque or tablet may be laid at the head of the lair or immediately in front of the memorial headstone.
What you cannot use it for
You cannot install kerbs, artificial wreaths, pall stones, globes and the like or the planting of trees, shrubs, bushes or similar planting, and such items will be removed after lair holders have been advised and given three months to remove them.
You cannot have a memorial or headstone on a lair in a woodland setting. Instead, families have the option to purchase a memorial plaque within the burial site or plant seeds of wildflowers for the benefits of biodiversity.
Before you apply
All new headstones or memorials must be installed by contractors who are on our Memorial Masons list. These installations must meet approved industry standards and include a guarantee of works to be reviewed in line with periodic memorial safety inspections.
Only contractors who are members of the approved scheme are permitted to erect, re-erect, or carry out any works on memorials within Council-managed burial grounds. Membership requires strict adherence to the scheme's conditions, guaranteeing compliance with established safety guidelines.
How to apply
Your memorial mason will apply on your behalf.
See our list of memorial masons who are registered to work in our cemeteries, and find out about the Registration Scheme for Memorial Masons.