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Minutes
Wednesday 9th April 2025
MINUTES – of a meeting of the Downham Market and Downham West Joint Burial Board held at Rouses Lane cemetery on Wednesday 9th April 2025
PRESENT –
Mr J.K. Fox (Chairman)
Mr S. Nunn (Vice-Chairman)
Mr C. Sampson, Mr. F. Daymond and Mr R. Pegg
Mr P. Farrow (Administrator)
Ms A. Cook (Assistant Administrator)
APOLOGIES – none received – all present
INSPECTION – The Meeting discussed the Inspection in light of the Administrators’ Report.
ROUSES LANE CEMETERY
TREES – The three tree whips that were received from Norfolk County Council are looking quite healthy, but it will be some time before they will be big enough to transplant.
The very large conifer in the Roman Catholic area still needs pruning; the contractor is to do this once the birds have finished nesting.
GRAVEL – the gravel on the driveway has been topped up and is looking better.
SOIL PILE – the soil pile had built up and has been removed.
CREMATED REMAINS AREA – the bush at the corner of the cremated remains area, that had various other plants and weeds growing in it, has now been removed; a tree is to be planted in its place in due course.
NEW SIGNAGE – a local business approached the Board to supply new signage free of charge; the new signs look much smarter than the old signs, which were showing their age.
GRAVE SURROUNDS – a few graves have recently had varying surrounds added to them, some wooden, some stone; it was decided to leave them as they are for now, the Administrator is to investigate the wording on the Exclusive Rights regulation sheet, see what the Borough Council say on their website, and it is to be discussed further at the next meeting.
KING’S WALK CEMETERY AND CHURCHSIDE CEMETERY
CONSERVATION AREAS – areas of both cemeteries have had the brambles trimmed back and are looking clear and tidy.
BIRD AND BAT BOXES - these are now in situ, and it has been reported by the Downham Wildlife Group that some are already in use. The Chairman was given a large cast iron bat box by a County Councillor, the Wildlife Group were not happy about putting it on a tree in the cemetery as it only had one point of attachment, it was felt that given the weight of the box it might fall off and could injure someone. Father Mather allowed it to be placed on a tree in the Rectory garden where it would not be a danger to the public.
BENCH – the bench in Churchside cemetery is only chained one side; it was felt that a further chain should be placed around the other side so that it is more secure.
BRANCH – there is a very large branch down, near the bench, Father Mather has said that the tree is on our land and not Church land; the contractor is to be asked to remove this.
WALL – a large area of wall alongside The Towers, near the South Chapel, is quite damaged and in need of repair, also one or two smaller areas of the walls are in need of repair too and one of the gate posts into Churchside; Mr Tombleson has been asked to repair these.
SUNKEN MEMORIAL – the memorial of Thomas Hotton Wenn, beside the North Chapel, is sinking, there is a hole underneath, it is not sure if this has been caused by animals or by some other means, this has led to the concrete around the memorial to crack and fall away; the Administrator is to contact Mr Emmerson to ask what would be the best way to deal with this before it collapses completely.
The Meeting continued at 23 London Road, Downham Market
MINUTE SILENCE – a minute silence was held for Mike Coles and Jackie Westrop who have sadly recently passed away. The Town Council are to be asked if they would like to appoint an additional member.
MINUTES – It was proposed by Mr Nunn, seconded by Mr Pegg and carried unanimously that the Minutes for the Meeting held on Wednesday 16th October 2024 were approved and signed by the Chairman. The following points were discussed:
MATTERS ARISING
WEBSITE - The Administrator has now updated the website in light of the Chairman’s recommendations.
CEMETERY HOUSE RENOVATIONS - The loan pack has been sent to The Levelling Up Department, but the Administrator has not yet received a response despite chasing them.
The Administrator contacted the two short-listed contractors to see if their prices needed to be reviewed given the amount of time since the original quotes had been received, and to ask when they would be able to start the work; only one has at present replied and said that the price still stands, and work could commence immediately.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
PRECEPT – the Town Council requested that the precept be sent in April and not October. Mr Sampson proposed a 3% increase this was seconded by Mr Pegg and agreed unanimously. At the October meeting, The Board will set the precept for the following year. The Administrator will set out in a letter to the Town Council the proposal, they will then have the figure to include in their budget for next year.
HERITAGE DAY – Mr Sampson has been approached by the Heritage Centre, to see if the Board would allow the North Chapel and cemeteries to be added to the Heritage Day in September. Mr Sampson showed them around the North Chapel, and they are quite excited to be able to include them on the day. They propose putting bunting around the gate posts and would like the Board to be on hand from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm. They would also like a potted history of the cemeteries and chapels, maps if available and any old records on display. The Chairman will look into this and get some information together. It was felt that two people should man the Chapel in two hourly shifts, this is to be decided nearer the time. As there is very limited parking space and turning room, it was decided that there would be no parking available on the day.
NEXT MEETING – this is to take place at the start of October.
THANKS – The Chairman thanked those present for their attendance and interest.
Chairman: Date:
Wednesday 16th October 2024
MINUTES – of a meeting of the Downham Market and Downham West Joint Burial Board held at Rouses Lane cemetery on Wednesday 16th October 2024
PRESENT –
Mr J.K. Fox (Chairman)
Mr S. Nunn (Vice-Chairman)
Mr C. Sampson and Mr R. Pegg
Mr P. Farrow (Administrator)
Ms A. Cook (Assistant Administrator)
APOLOGIES – were received from Mr F. Daymond
INSPECTION – The Meeting discussed the Inspection in light of the Administrators’ Report.
ROUSES LANE CEMETERY
TREES – Three of the tree whips that were received from Norfolk County Council are looking quite healthy, the rest have sadly died.
The very large conifer in the Roman Catholic area still needs pruning; the contractor is to do this once the birds have finished nesting.
FENCING – the contractor installed extra posts along the fence, but a couple of holes have appeared. Tape has been put in various places along the hedge of the adjoining field; it is thought that this is to stop the horses from escaping.
GRAVEL – the gravel on the driveway is now very compacted, the contractor says it will cost around £1,000 to top it up; it was agreed that this should be done once the precepts have been received.
NEW BENCH – a family member, of someone recently buried in the Church of England new area, asked if they could place a bench in memory; the bench was purchased by them, and they contributed half the cost of the concrete base to place it on. The concrete base was installed by a local builder.
GRASS CUTTING – grass cutting fortnightly grass cutting has been a success so we will continue it. No complaints have been received about the grass being longer at times.
SOIL PILE – the soil pile had built up recently, so the contractor has removed it.
CREMATED REMAINS AREA – there is a bush at the corner of the cremated remains area that has various other plants and weeds growing in it; the contractor is to be asked to remove these and trim the bush.
KING’S WALK CEMETERY AND CHURCHSIDE CEMETERY
CONSERVATION AREAS – as the cemeteries are not too overgrown, the cutting back of brambles could be spread over three years, with the worst being done first which is nearest the pathway to the Howdale. There is also a self-sown sycamore very close to another tree that needs removing.
BENCH – the bench in Churchside cemetery is still there and being used
The Meeting continued at 23 London Road, Downham Market
The above members were joined by Councillor J. Westrop, who was welcomed to the Board by the Chairman.
MINUTES – It was proposed by Mr Nunn, seconded by Mr Sampson and carried unanimously that the Minutes for the Meeting held on Wednesday 1st May 2024 were approved and signed by the Chairman. The following points were discussed: -
MATTERS ARISING
WEBSITE - The Administrator has now updated the website, and the minutes have been included; The Chairman will check this in due course and mentioned that the Anglia in Bloom page should be removed as this occurred some time ago. A piece about Rouses Lane cemetery needs to be added and the words ‘sometimes known as King’s Way’ needs removing from the King’s Walk cemetery page. The Accounts are also to be included on the website.
ALLOTMENTS – the part nearest the fence, which has been vacated by the allotment people, is to be flail mowed in the near future.
ACCOUNTS - these were discussed, income is down on last year and expenses are up, mainly due to the increase in council tax on the cemeteries and the house. This has resulted in an excess of expenditure over income of £2,748 compared with an excess of income over expenditure of £6,854 for the previous year.
The Administrator, Mr Farrow, suggested moving the restricted funds back to the normal funds as there was no intention to purchase further land now, and the money was needed for everyday running of the cemeteries.
No burials are booked in at the present time and there have been none for a few weeks.
The accounts are to be audited by PKF Littlejohn. It was proposed by the Chairman and seconded by Mr Sampson that the accounts be approved, all members were in favour.
PRECEPTS – Mr Sampson suggested an increase in line with inflation might be acceptable, but the Chairman felt that precepts should remain the same this year; hopefully the house will soon be renovated, and additional costs incurred with the property being empty will no longer be a problem and a drain on resources. They are at present £25,000, £24,010 from Downham Market Town Council and £990 from Downham West Parish Council. Mr Nunn proposed leaving them the same this year and Mr Sampson seconded this, all members were in agreement. Councillor Westrop said that the Town Council would rather pay the precept in one go and that from next year payment would be preferred around April rather than October.
BURIAL FEES – The Borough Council have increased their fees this year; it was felt by the Board, that they should also increase their fees, in line with the Council. The Chairman proposed accepting the fee increases as proposed by the Administrators, this was seconded by Mr Pegg, with all members in agreement.
CEMETERY HOUSE RENOVATIONS - The change of Government has slowed things down in respect of The Levelling Up Department loan to complete the house renovations. Downham West Parish Council are to put in an application for a loan of £50,000. Flyers were delivered to almost all houses in the parish, with no-one objecting to the loan.
All that needs doing now is the completion of the business plan, which the Administrator will do with the help of the Downham West Parish clerk.
Councillor Westrop asked if we needed support from our local MP; it was felt that this was not necessary.
The Administrator contacted the two short-listed contractors to see if their prices needed to be reviewed, in light of the amount of time since the original quotes had been received, and to ask when they would be able to start the work; only one has at present replied and said that the price still stands, and work could commence immediately.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
BIRD AND BAT BOXES – Downham West Parish Council received some Ecology money; this has been used to purchase timber to make bird and bat boxes with. The Men’s Shed are making the boxes and when they are completed, The Chairman and Mr Sampson will store the boxes in the Chapel until late winter/early spring, when they can be placed around the cemeteries. The Downham Wildlife Group are to be consulted on where best to place them.
GATES – a member of the public very kindly offered to rub these down and repaint them along with the tap surrounds again this year. He will also repaint the benches when they are stored for the winter. A letter of thanks is to be sent to him.
NEXT MEETING – this is to take place at the start of April next year.
THANKS – The Chairman thanked those present for their attendance and interest.
Chairman: Date:
Wednesday 1st May 2024
MINUTES – of a meeting of the Downham Market and Downham West Joint Burial Board held at Rouses Lane cemetery on Wednesday 1st May 2024
PRESENT –
Mr J.K. Fox (Chairman)
Mr S. Nunn (Vice-Chairman)
Mr C. Sampson and Mr F. Daymond
Mr P. Farrow (Administrator)
Ms A. Cook (Assistant Administrator)
APOLOGIES – were received from Mr R Pegg
INSPECTION – The Meeting discussed the Inspection in light of the Administrators’ Report.
ROUSES LANE CEMETERY
TREES – The tree whips that were received from Norfolk County Council were inspected by Stuart Hall from the Council, he thought that a few of them could be dormant, so there may be more than first thought still alive.
The very large conifer in the Roman Catholic area still needs pruning; the contractor is to do this once the birds have finished nesting.
FENCING – the contractor has installed extra posts along the fence, where needed, to replace the rotten posts.
GRAVEL – the gravel on the driveway is now very compacted, the contractor says it will cost around £1,000 to top it up; it was agreed that this should be done.
WET WEATHER – during the very wet weather, the administrator received a letter from a member of the public saying that burials should not go ahead as the ground was too wet; none of the funeral directors contacted the administrators to say that it was too wet for burials.
GRASS CUTTING – grass cutting is now being done fortnightly instead of weekly; instead of paying £500 per week, because the grass is longer, it is costing £750 per fortnight, saving £250 per fortnight.
KING’S WALK CEMETERY AND CHURCHSIDE CEMETERY
CONSERVATION AREAS – parts of both cemeteries are now looking overgrown; it was felt, that to save money, that one side should be left until next year and one side trimmed to ground level.
BENCH – a bench was placed in Churchside, to replace the stolen one, so that members of the public had somewhere to rest and contemplate; a few days later this was knocked over despite being chained to the ground.
The Meeting continued at 23 London Road, Downham Market.
MINUTES – It was proposed by Mr Sampson, seconded by Mr Nunn and carried unanimously that the Minutes for the Meeting held on Wednesday 18th October 2023 were approved and signed by the Chairman. The following points were discussed: -
MATTERS ARISING
WEBSITE
The Administrator is to update the website and the minutes are to be included.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
ALLOTMENTS – The Chairman received a letter from an allotment holder asking that plot D13 be retained, following the return of the allotments to the Board, for use by visitors as a rest and sitting area. The plot has been kept with certain principles of sustainability from Ecology and Permaculture. There are a variety of trees, wild plants, a pond, and wildlife including frogs, grasshoppers and damsel flies. Future maintenance would be minimal, mowing, pruning and occasional hedge trimming. Mr Sampson proposed that this be allowed as long as the allotment holder maintains whilst he is able to, this was seconded by Mr Daymond and agree unanimously.
CEMETERY HOUSE RENOVATIONS -The Administrator now has three quotes for the renovations and is waiting for Sara from Downham West Parish Council to be available to complete the relevant forms for the loan.
One of the quotes is much higher than the other two so this is to be discounted. The other two quotes, from LH Tombleson & Son and Centaurus Construction Services, are very close in price. The Chairman and Mr Sampson didn’t feel they could vote on which builder to choose as they are friends with Nathan from Centaurus.
After discussing the merits of both, The Chairman suggested leaving the decision making until the funding was in process, then it would be a case of contacting each of them to see which one could complete the work soonest, with a view to getting the renovations completed by autumn. The Administrator is to contact them in the meantime, to let them know that the final decision will be made once funding is in place.
BAD PRESS - following the bad press received after some Town Councillors complained about the state of the older cemeteries and Cemetery House, saying that it is derelict, a meeting was held with the Clerk and deputy clerk from the council who agreed that the cemeteries are well kept and Cemetery House is in need of renovating but is by no means derelict. The Board does not need funding from the Town Council for the renovations and the Precept will not be increased in this respect.
BOARD MEMBERS – following Mr Coles resignation in late 2023, a vacancy has arisen for a new member to be appointed from the Town Council. The Chairman will inform the Clerk of this.
ALLOTMENTS – The Board has been asked if we could be flexible over the handing over of the second half of the allotments, to allow for the two new allotment areas planned for the town to be ready for use. The Chairman proposed an extra twelve months be added with it being reviewed each year, this was seconded by Mr Nunn and agreed unanimously.
APPOINTMENT OF OFFICERS
Chairman – it was proposed by Mr Sampson, seconded by Mr Daymond, and carried unanimously that Mr Fox should remain in his position.
Vice-Chairman – it was proposed by Mr Fox, seconded by Mr Sampson, and carried unanimously that Mr Nunn should remain in his position.
Mr Fox and Mr Nunn both said that they were happy to carry on as Chairman and Vice-Chairman respectively. No other nominations were received.
THANKS – The Chairman thanked those present for their attendance and interest.
Chairman: Date:
Wednesday 18th October 2023
MINUTES – of a meeting of the Downham Market and Downham West Joint Burial Board held at Rouses Lane cemetery on Wednesday 18th October 2023
PRESENT –
Mr J.K. Fox (Chairman)
Mr S. Nunn (Vice-Chairman)
Mr C. Sampson, Mr R. Pegg and Mr F. Daymond
Mr P. Farrow (Administrator)
Ms A. Cook (Assistant Administrator)
APOLOGIES – none were received
INSPECTION – The Meeting discussed the Inspection in light of the Administrators’ Report
ROUSES LANE CEMETERY
TREES – there are three from the pack of ten free trees that came from Norfolk County Council that are still alive and thriving. The dead trees in the other denominations area have now been removed; the area is ready for the contractor to plant one of the donated oak trees. There is a very large conifer in the Roman Catholic area which needs a serious prune as it is encroaching on several graves; the contractor is to do this.
FENCING – the contractor is to place three or four substantial posts along the damaged area and attach the existing wire fence to them, also any holes that are along the length of the fence are to be repaired.
NEW CHURCH OF ENGLAND AREA – this is now being used.
GRASS CUTTING – in light of the lack of funds, it was decided to trial reducing grass cutting to fortnightly instead of weekly; this is to be reviewed if this causes the cemetery to look untidy.
KING’S WALK CEMETERY AND CHURCHSIDE CEMETERY
WAR GRAVES – the Commonwealth War Graves Commission sign is now in place on the entrance to Churchside cemetery.
LOW HANGING BRANCHES – there are some low hanging branches in both of the older cemeteries; the contractor is to be asked to remove them.
CONSERVATION AREAS – it was decided that instead of cutting these back on alternate years, that only heavily overgrown parts should be trimmed.
The Meeting continued at 23 London Road, Downham Market.
MINUTES – It was proposed by Mr Pegg, seconded by Mr Nunn and carried unanimously that the Minutes for the Meeting held on Wednesday 19th April 2023 were approved and signed by the Chairman. The following points were discussed: -
MATTERS ARISING
MR M COLES RESIGNATION – a letter was read out by the assistant administrator from Mr Coles, in it he tendered his resignation due to ill health. It was proposed by Mr Sampson, seconded by Mr Daymond, and carried unanimously that the Board continue as they are, and a replacement is not to be sought at this present time. A letter of thanks for his service is to be sent to Mr Coles.
ACCOUNTS - these were discussed, income is up on last year but has dropped considerably in the past six months. Expenses were down, resulting in an excess of income over expenditure of £6,854 compared with an excess of expenditure over income of £18,154 for the previous year.
The Administrator, Mr Farrow, pointed out that the precept was higher during this year and without that we would have lost money again.
In the last six months there have been very few burials and we are paying double council tax charges, amounting to £3,438 for the year, on Cemetery House. Funds have dropped since March 2023 from around £19,000 to around £3,500. The Administrators have not had their fees for September yet and neither has the Contractor, but we are expecting a VAT repayment of around £3,900.
The accounts are to be audited by PKF Littlejohn. It was proposed by the Chairman and seconded by Mr Sampson that the accounts be approved, all members were in favour.
The Chairman thanked the Administrators for their work.
PRECEPTS – in view of the accounts position, the Chairman proposed that precepts should remain the same. They are at present £25,000, £24,010 from Downham Market Town Council and £990 from Downham West Parish Council. The Vice-chairman seconded this and carried it was unanimously. We will continue to make efforts to reduce costs where possible.
BURIAL FEES – The Borough Council have not increased their fees this year; it was felt by the Board, that bearing in mind the economic climate, they should also not increase their fees. The Chairman proposed no increases to fees this year, this was seconded by Mr Pegg, with all members in agreement.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
WEBSITE
The Chairman pointed out that there is nothing written about the Rouses Lane cemetery on the website; the Administrators are to look into this.
DOWNHAMWEB
The Administrators have been contacted by a member of the public from Downhamweb asking if the minutes are open for the public, so that they can appear on the Downhamweb site. Mr Pegg proposed that the minutes should appear on our website, this was seconded by Mr Sampson and agreed unanimously. There should also be a copy of the Accounts and fees on the website too.
CEMETERY HOUSE RENOVATIONS
The Levelling Up Department have been contacted about a loan to complete the house renovations. The County Council have said they will support our application via Downham West Parish Council.
A loan of £30,000 over 5 or 6 years, will bring the house up to a current minimum EPC level. A loan of £50,000 over 10 years, will ensure that the house is at a level that will not require any more improvements in the next few years, when the minimum EPC is set to increase. The Chairman proposed applying for £50,000 over 10 years, Mr Sampson seconded this, and all members were in agreement.
The Administrators are obtaining three quotes from builders for the work that is necessary; these will be reviewed once all are received.
THANKS – The Chairman thanked those present for their attendance and interest.
Chairman: Date:
Wednesday 19th April 2023
MINUTES – of a meeting of the Downham Market and Downham West Joint Burial Board held at Rouses Lane cemetery on Wednesday 19th April 2023
PRESENT –
Mr J.K. Fox (Chairman)
Mr S. Nunn (Vice-Chairman)
Mr R. Pegg, Mr C. Sampson and Mr F. Daymond
Mr P. Farrow (Administrator)
Ms A. Cook (Assistant Administrator)
APOLOGIES – Mr M. Coles
INSPECTION – The Meeting discussed the Inspection in light of the Administrators’ Report.
ROUSES LANE CEMETERY
TREES – The tree whips that were received from Norfolk County Council, that we thought were dead, are showing signs of life; we will be able to plant these out once they get a little larger. Downham in Bloom also have some oak trees that we can have if there is space for them. There are two trees that look dead on the other denominations side that could be replaced by one of the oak trees, then possibly one either side of the turning area near the fence and one in the corner of the new section of the Church of England side, near the fence and any remaining trees can be used in the new section where the allotments were.
FENCING – the fencing along the Church of England side has not been repaired yet and there were signs of a horse or horses having been in the cemetery. The contractors are to put a couple of fence posts in.
GATES – A member of the public has very kindly offered to rub these down and repaint them along with the tap surrounds again this year.
KING’S WALK CEMETERY
WALLS –The builder has now repaired the holes in the walls. He has been asked to provide a regular professional inspection and issue a report.
NORTH CHAPEL – roof repairs are now complete.
OVERHANGING TREES – A member of the public, who lives in The Towers, raised concerns again over the cemetery trees overhanging his garden being a fire hazard; there is one tree that could possibly be of concern, and this could be trimmed back and there are a couple of small trees close to the boundary that can be removed.
CHURCHSIDE CEMETERY
BENCH – A member of the public has now renovated the old bench kept in the North Chapel, he has also spruced up the other three benches which are placed in Rouses Lane. He would accept no payment for this. A letter of thanks is to be sent to him.
The Meeting continued at 23 London Road, Downham Market.
MINUTES – It was proposed by Mr Pegg, seconded by Mr Sampson and carried unanimously that the Minutes for the Meeting held on Wednesday 12th October 2022 were approved and signed by the Chairman with an amendment to the proposed purchase of land which should read to the West not East as pointed out by Mr Sampson. The following points were discussed: -
MATTERS ARISING
CEMETERY HOUSE – The Administrator has been looking into possible bank loans to help with the renovations and insulation of the house but none of the banks will lend the Board any money. He then contacted the Public Works Loan body, who pointed him in the direction of the Levelling up Department at the Treasury. The Levelling up department said that as the Board is funded by two councils, it would be more favourable for one of those to apply for the loan.
A rough estimate for replacing the toilets, washbasins and bath, re-wiring the electrics, replacing all flooring, re-decorating and cleaning and possibly replacing the boiler, which is now around 13 years old and hasn’t been used for the past 3 or 4 years, would be somewhere in the region of £27,000, so it was decided to apply for £30,000 to be on the safe side. Mr Pegg said that he thought that Downham West Parish Council would be willing to apply for the loan and that he would have a word with the Clerk.
Mr Fox proposed going ahead with the loan and the work, this was seconded by Mr Sampson and carried unanimously.
BURIAL PROBLEM
The Administrator has now met with the member of the public and has asked what they want the Burial Board to do, and they have said that they just want it not to happen to anyone else. They also said that they never received an invoice for the plots; this was sent to the funeral directors and when the Administrator meets with them again, he will show them a copy of the invoice sent to the funeral director. The Chairman said that as far as he could see the Administrators had done nothing wrong and that the funeral directors should have known which of the plots to use.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
APPOINTMENT OF OFFICERS
Chairman – Mr Fox and Vice-Chairman – Mr Nunn – it was proposed by Mr Sampson, seconded by Mr Pegg and carried unanimously that both should remain in their positions. Mr Fox and Mr Nunn both said that they were happy to carry on as Chairman and Vice-Chairman respectively. No other nominations were received.
WAR GRAVES – The Board has been approached by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to place a sign on the entrance to Churchside cemetery stating that there are war graves within the cemetery. It was decided that a sign should be placed on the pillar near the existing Churchside sign, this is to be the smaller 210mm x 150mm sign.
THANKS – The Chairman thanked those present for their attendance and interest and thanked the Administrators for their efforts.
Chairman: Date:
Wednesday 12th October 2022
MINUTES – of a meeting of the Downham Market and Downham West Joint Burial Board held at Rouses Lane cemetery on Wednesday 12th October 2022
PRESENT –
Mr J.K. Fox (Chairman)
Mr S. Nunn (Vice-Chairman)
Mr C. Sampson, Mr R. Pegg, Mr F. Daymond and Mrs D. Stevens
Mr P. Farrow (Administrator)
Ms A. Cook (Assistant Administrator)
APOLOGIES – were received from Mr M. Coles
INSPECTION – The Meeting discussed the Inspection in light of the Administrators’ Report.
ROUSES LANE CEMETERY
TREES – the pack of ten free trees that came from Norfolk County Council look like they have all died; they were very small whips and have not survived the drought.
Mr Daymond will arrange with the contractor to pick up the five small oak trees from Friends of the Willows; the contractor will then liaise with the Administrator as to where to position them.
FENCING – it was noticed that part of the fencing along the Church of England side has gone down, it is difficult to work out why, whether this was caused by the horses in the neighbouring field, vandalism or natural causes; new posts are needed to repair it.
KING’S WALK CEMETERY
WALLS –we are still awaiting the builder to inspect and repair any holes in the walls.
NORTH CHAPEL – the Chairman voiced his concerns that the roof repairs are still not complete; the Administrator is to contact the builder.
HOUSE – The property remains empty. The garden is looking overgrown and untidy; the contractors are to be asked to tidy it.
The Administrator has spoken to Mr Roberts of Ashton Roberts; he has advised that if we obtain three quotes for insulation and these are over £3000, we can then apply for exemption. Once we have received the exemption, we can get the electrics tested, the house cleaned, decorated and new flooring laid, he would then be able to let the property for us. Mr Roberts also said that we probably wouldn’t be able to get the same level of rental income that we previously had and that we would have to be careful who it was rented out to because of the lack of insulation. This seems to be a good solution to the problem as we are now paying double council tax fees because the property has been empty long term. The Chairman proposed Ashton Roberts to manage the property, once ready for renting out, this was seconded by Mr Nunn and agreed unanimously by the Board.
The Administrator is to arrange an electrician to test the electrics and obtain a quote for any work that is required.
It may be necessary to obtain a loan to complete the worked needed to get the property ready to rent out; the Administrator is to obtain quotes for this.
ROADWAY – we received a complaint from a resident who lives in The Towers, that we had put a roadway in along the dividing wall; the drought may have killed off some of the grass but other than that this doesn’t look very different to how it normally looks.
OVERHANGING TREES – another resident, who also lives in The Towers, raised concerns over the cemetery trees overhanging his garden and being a fire hazard during the drought; there is only one tree that could possibly be of concern, and this could be trimmed back. He had a man from the council visit to check them out, but we have heard nothing since.
CHURCHSIDE CEMETERY
BENCH – the old bench kept in the North Chapel is to be refurbished over the winter and used in the Churchside cemetery; Mr Thomas is to be asked to do this.
The Meeting continued at 23 London Road, Downham Market.
MINUTES – It was proposed by Mr Nunn, seconded by Mr Pegg and carried unanimously that the Minutes for the Meeting held on Tuesday 5th April 2022 were approved and signed by the Chairman. The following points were discussed: -
MATTERS ARISING
ADDITIONAL LAND – Mr Barker was contacted by the Administrator to enquire as to the appropriateness of the land to the East of the cemetery; he said that this would not be suitable.
ACCOUNTS - these were discussed, income is considerably down on last year and expenses remain similar, resulting in an excess of expenditure over income of £18,154 compared with £8,206 for the previous year.
The Administrator, Mr Farrow, pointed out that fees this year were down £8,000, and no house rental income was received.
Rates have increased again this year as double fees are now payable for Cemetery House. We have also had wall repairs of £2,468.
The bank accounts at present total £13,000, but the Administrators have not had their fees for April and July yet.
The accounts are to be audited by PKF Littlejohn. It was proposed by Mr Nunn and seconded by Mr Pegg that the accounts be approved, all members were in favour.
Mr Daymond requested that in future, electricity be separated from sundry expenses and pest control.
PRECEPTS – in view of the accounts position, the Administrator suggested that precepts should be increased by a significant amount. They are at present £15,000, £14,405 from Downham Market Town Council and £595 from Downham West Parish Council. The Administrator enquired as to whether a smaller increase to the precept plus a one-off amount would be possible, but it was felt by the Board that this would not be acceptable and that the one-off amount would probably be voted against by the Council. After much discussion over what was deemed acceptable as an increase, the Vice-chairman proposed an increase of £10,000 to £25,000 this was seconded by Mr Sampson and carried unanimously. Downham Market Town Council will increase by £9,605 to £24,010 and Downham West Parish Council will increase by £395 to £990.
BURIAL FEES – The Borough Council have increased some of their fees quite substantially; it was felt by the members that The Board should increase their fees to keep in line. The Chairman proposed the acceptance of the draft fee increases, this was seconded by Mr Sampson, with all members in agreement.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
BURIAL PROBLEM
The issue with a member of the public is still ongoing and Mapus-Smith & Lemmon LLP have now received a complaint about Mr Farrow. At the time, the lady purchased two separate plots, one for her husband and one for herself. She was sent a map showing these plots and was happy with them. The map was then sent to Thornalley Funeral Services, who should have been aware that husbands are often buried on the left-hand side, proceeded to bury her husband in his plot. When the paperwork came back from Thornalley’s it was amended to a double plot. Almost seventeen months later a memorial request was received from Richard King, which did not state which side he proposed engraving on. Then almost two years after the burial, the stone was placed, and the stonemason said that he had been buried on the wrong side. The Administrator has written to the lady on several occasions suggesting a meeting to discuss the matter and to ascertain what she actually wants as this is not clear in any of her correspondence.
ALLOTMENTS – The Administrators have received an email from the Town Council with some questions from the allotment association regarding vacating half of the allotment area. These were discussed and answered as follows: -
1. The gate could remain until 1.4.2025.
2. The gravel path can stay.
3. The car park can stay for now but as soon as we need to use the land for burials it will have to move.
4. The water pipe will remain where it is and be extended when necessary.
5. Yes, we can take back to row B and leave row C in the allotments.
6. The trees can all remain where they are, they will only be removed if they are in line with roadway through the current cemetery.
7. The roses can remain
8. The land just needs to be kept tidy by trimming back once or twice a year.
9. The drainage hole has been noted.
The Vice-chairman commented what an excellent job the Administrators are doing, this was agreed by the members.
APPOINTMENT OF OFFICERS
This is to be done at the next meeting in April 2023.
THANKS – The Chairman thanked those present for their attendance and interest and thanked the Administrators for their work.
Chairman: Date:
Tuesday 5th April 2022
MINUTES – of a meeting of the Downham Market and Downham West Joint Burial Board held at Rouses Lane cemetery on Tuesday 5th April 2022
PRESENT –
Mr J.K. Fox (Chairman)
Mr S. Nunn (Vice-Chairman)
Mr M. Coles
Mr C. Sampson – did not attend the meeting at 23 London Road due to Covid
Mr F. Daymond – did not attend the meeting at 23 London Road due to another commitment
Mr P. Farrow (Administrator)
Ms A. Cook (Assistant Administrator)
APOLOGIES – Mr R. Pegg
INSPECTION – The Meeting discussed the Inspection in light of the Administrators’ Report.
ROUSES LANE CEMETERY
TREES – the pack of ten free trees have been received from the Norfolk County Council. These will be used to replace the lost trees and any remaining trees will be placed along the fence between the cemetery and the allotments, forming a line for when the fence is removed. Mr Daymond has been offered some oak trees from the Friends of the Willows; it was felt that we could find a place for five, with one of them being placed in the middle of the line along the fence, in line with the tree on the flat tablet area.
HEDGE – the hedge along the back of the Church of England side has been trimmed back and looks very tidy.
RABBITS – there are quite a few rabbit holes appearing in the cemetery again and one very large one; this will need to be monitored.
GATES – a member of the public has very kindly offered to rub these down and repaint them along with the tap surrounds. A letter of thanks is to be sent to him.
KING’S WALK CEMETERY
WALLS –the builder is to be asked to repair the new holes in the walls. As not all damage is surface damage, he is also to be asked to provide a regular professional inspection and issue a report.
HOUSE – The property remains empty. Signs of damp have appeared on the chimney breast wall and the wall in the kitchen where the boiler is.
NORTH CHAPEL – roof repairs are ongoing.
CHURCHSIDE CEMETERY
BENCH – the member of the public who is painting the gates, is to be asked if he would be interested in renovating the old bench kept in the North Chapel; The Board are happy to pay him for his time.
The Meeting continued at 23 London Road, Downham Market.
MINUTES – It was proposed by Mr Nunn, seconded by Mr Coles and carried unanimously that the Minutes for the Meeting held on Wednesday 27th October 2021 were approved and signed by the Chairman. The following points were discussed: -
MATTERS ARISING
ADDITIONAL LAND – still no progress in the possible purchasing of additional land. Mr Sampson suggested contacting Barkers with a view to purchasing the land to the west of the cemetery; Mr Barker is to be contacted by the administrator to enquire as to the appropriateness of the land as this was previously used as a pit for carrstone and sand.
MAINTENANCE OF OLDER CEMETERIES – as the Board have relatively low funds it was thought that the brambles could possibly be cut back alternate years instead of both sides being cut back each year. The Administrators will monitor the brambles for overgrowth.
PRECEPTS – following on from the October 2021 meeting, these were increased to £15,000: £14,405 being Downham Market Town Council contribution and £595 Downham West Parish Council.
CEMETERY HOUSE – The Chairman and the Administrators have investigated any possible grants to help with the renovations and insulation of the house but have had no luck so far; most grants are either available for premises that are to be used as a community building or are for tenants and not landlords. Another way to raise the money is through a Public Works Loan, this is a possibility as The Board is a precepted entity. The Administrators are to look into this further with a view to borrowing £20,000 over say 10 years.
DOG SIGNAGE IN CEMETERIES – larger signs are to be placed in the cemeteries to remind dog owners to control their dogs in the cemeteries.
BANK ACCOUNT – paperwork is to be chased up by the Administrator so that Mr Nunn can be added as a signatory on the bank accounts.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
ALLOTMENTS – The Administrators have been approached by the Town Council with a request to extend the notice period on the allotment land. At present the allotments are due to vacate the land and return it to its original state by 1st April 2023, they would like this extended by one or two years to give them longer to find alternative ground. After some discussion it was decided to offer them half of the land for a further two years, this would be the land furthest away from the cemetery which might cause problems with the allotment holders nearest the fence. If they agree, a new lease agreement is to be drawn up to reflect this. The rent would remain the same.
WEBSITE – the new website is now up and running.
THANKS – The Chairman thanked those present for their attendance and interest and thanked the Administrators for their work.
Chairman: Date:
