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Case ref:201101243
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Date:May 2012
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Body:South Ayrshire Council
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Sector:Local Government
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Outcome:Not upheld, no recommendations
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Subject:burial grounds/crematoria
Summary
Mr C's complaint concerned his late father's headstone in the council's cemetery. A team from the council had inspected the headstone and decided that it was unstable. The council attached a sticker to the stone to indicate that it needed repair. Mr C complained about the testing procedure and about the conditions the council sought to impose upon him in carrying out the repair work. He was dissatisfied with their response and complained to us.
Our investigation found that burial ground operators should have systems in place to control risks to visitors and other members of the public. The approach set out in the guidance involves the periodic assessment of memorials as part of a planned programme including a visual check, a hand test and more detailed inspections where required. The guidance said that appropriate precautions can then be taken to manage the risk to the public. We found that the council had in fact followed appropriate procedures.