Forum for residents of St Georges Park and Long Leys Road Lincoln

[sally]

I have been reading with intrest about the debate of the graveyard. Whilst a graveyard to some people may seem pretty and seem a good idea, nobody has mentioned what goes on behind the scenes.

1: Vandalism
A graveyard does and will attract vandals. I have a child in Newport cemetary. I have gone to visit on several occasions only to find that her grave has been damaged and has had beer cans left on it from drunks and teenagers. Things get stolen off graves. This doesn't just happen to me, this has happened to other graves there too. I believe that it will bring crime to the area and to the urban village and push the crime rate up. Some teenagers think its cool to go to a graveyard late at night. It will attract alot of teenagers from near by estates. Vandalism happens on a regular basis. These vandals will probably come into the urban village. Some tramps sleep there at night. Whilst the council will promise to make it secure, it won't be as none of the other cemeteries are.

2: Funerals
We will see graves being dug, then there will be the funerals vurtually every day and these graveyards fill up quicker than you think. It would not only be uncomfortable for the residents living facing the graveyard, but also the families and friends of those at the funerals. Especially private funerals. They will have an audience of onlookers from the 20 or so houses that overlook the field. In the summer months when people have BBQ's and have music playing, even down to cutting thier lawns, they will have to think of these people and show some respect. During the funeral we will experience watching the coffin being lowered into the hole. Then the families and friends will leave and the backfilling of the grave starts. This will happen probably on a daily basis.

3: Bodies being exhumed.

Whilst this may be rare, it does happen and is becoming ever more popular. There are a number of reasons why exhumations occur, including:
a:Movement from the original grave to a subsequently acquired family plot in the same or another cemetery.
b:Repatriation overseas to be buried along with other family.
c: Transfer from one cemetery scheduled for development to another.
d:Court orders requiring further forensic examination.
An environmental health officer must be present at the exhumation of a body to ensure that there is no threat to public health and to ensure that respect for the deceased person is maintained.
Exhumation commences as early as possible in the morning to ensure maximum privacy, the plot is screened as appropriate for privacy. Everyone present and around shows due respect to deseased person and adjoining graves. All human remains and all the peices of casket are placed in the new casket. The new casket is then sealed. The area of the exhumation is then disinfected and the body is taken away.
The noise in the early hours of the morning, the clattering of tools and the brightness of the flood lights.
How do we stop our children from seeing this. Children tend to wake up early in the morning. What am I going to say to my daughter, when she looks out of the window and say's " mummy, what are they doing?" Childrens imaginations can run wild. So you see this isn't really just about things that go bump in the night. Do you really want to see this happening?

3: Untidiness of graves
Alot of graves are forgoten about and become overgrown and not properly maintained. Whist old gravestones look very attractive this graveyard will only have new ones. When the council cut the grass around the graves they get splattered with grass and they don't clear up the mess the families have to. The graves also get chipped by thier strimmers.

4: People who errect the gravestones.
We will see graves stones being placed and the work envolved.

5: Traffic
The council might say they will accomdate for parking. But lets be honest we all know what the councils idea of parking is. At the weekend cemeteries become extremely busy places, as this is the time when most people visit their loved ones. The traffic on Longleys Rd will become ever more busier, we will see a constant stream of funeral cars. The junction at the top of Longleys road will become busier. Parking will become a problem. So where will these people park? In our village. Parking is already a problem and this will only make things worse.

So... People who think this won't affect them, have a good hard think and be realistic because once the graveyard is here, its here to stay. In my opinion it will open a big can of worms. Graveyards shouldn't be placed anywhere near houses but instead out of the way.
There have been some very contructive and realisitic comments made about this topic, but I felt that these things should be mentioned because they DO and WILL happen. I would be interested to hear any comments.

[SteveW]

Sally,
That is one of the best, most concise & constructive posts I have seen on here and I know from other posts that Councillors actually read this Forum.

Lets just hope they read yours, sit up and take note of the content.

Thank you.

[Michelle Bradford]

I agree with Steve W regarding this post, thank you Sally.

I would like to point out as there seems to be some confusion. The poll is with regards to whether the cemetary should be put there or the field left alone. It is not a vote for either houses or a cemetary. It is a vote as to whether the land should be a cemetary at all, If the land is refused as a cemetary and then housing developers put in an application for the change of use and plans for residential houses then this can be challenged at that point.

Thanks

Michelle

[deb]

Sally, this will be added to my list of comments. While many of us have seen the headlines in the Echo this is a good reminder BUT we must remember that this may not be the spot chosen by the council and we are still trying to find out where the others may be. The comment about BBQs was a very sound one and a very good reason why large cemeteries are not compatible with urban life. You say "they will have to think of these people and show some respect" but that may not and possibly cannot happen as not all the houses back on to the field, many front to it and this will not stop noise travelling. There is nothing worse than being at a funeral and hearing raucous laughter nearby, it does indeed start a feeling of 'don't they know what this feels like', 'just for now couldn't they shut up'. It's a good point in any possible arguments we may ned to make to have objections that would cover people using the cemetery - well made.

[iggy]

sally it wont be long before you can say i told you so