Specialist contractors working on behalf of Farnham Town Council will begin a programme of memorial safety testing in its cemeteries this month. The inspections will start in Green Lane Cemetery before progressing to Badshot Lea, West Street and Hale Cemeteries.

As a burial authority, Farnham Town Council is responsible for ensuring general safety in its cemeteries. The memorials are tested every five years as part of an ongoing maintenance programme.

Councillor Carole Cockburn, Lead Member for Cemeteries says: “Our qualified contractors will carefully check the stability of every memorial by hand and in a very sensitive manner – no mechanical devices will be used. If a memorial is found to pose an imminent risk, immediate action will be taken to make it safe. Any other memorials that require attention will be staked and a warning sign will be displayed. If you have any concerns about this work, please contact Farnham Town Council.”

The work will take around 2-5 days per cemetery to complete and will be carried out on weekdays only.

Memorial owners have a specific responsibility for the safety of their memorial. If the structure is found to be unsafe, they will be contacted by Farnham Town Council and asked to make arrangements with an approved stonemason to secure the memorial.