Edgewell Cemetery

Prudhoe Town Council own, manage and maintain Edgewell Cemetery under a service level agreement with Northumberland County Council. 

Following a review of the service level agreement it has been agreed that the gates into both the New Cemetery (Edgewell East) and the Old Cemetery (Edgewell West) will no longer be closed.  This change will take effect from 1st April 2019.

The main reason for this decision is cost, presently the opening and closing of the cemetery gates makes up almost 25% of the overall cost of the cemetery contract, set against the fact that none of the other 24 cemeteries in Northumberland are locked; they are open 24 hours/day. 

Prudhoe Town Council is mindful that anyone wishing to gain entry to either cemetery could do so even if the gates were locked; over the hedge into the new cemetery and over a wall or fence into the old cemetery.  When the change was debated the council did enquire about any issues with damage/vandalism in any of the other Northumberland cemeteries and it was confirmed that there wasn’t a problem.

Prudhoe Town Council has a fiduciary responsibility to the tax payers of Prudhoe to ensure value for money; taking into account the risks set against the costs, it was agreed that the council would follow the 24-hour access model applied throughout Northumberland.

Please rest assured that Prudhoe Town Council, in partnership with Northumberland County Council, is committed to providing a high standard of maintenance at Edgewell Cemetery and have a track record of investment in improvements and development, especially over the last 8 years.  Although the cemetery service level agreement is changing in terms of how work is carried out, standards will remain high and we will continue to monitor these and listen to your concerns.

With regards memorials in the cemetery, Prudhoe Town Council cannot insure memorials as they do not belong to us.  Grave owners are encouraged to seek advice from the National Association of Memorial Masons on reputable insurance providers who offer insurance specifically for memorials in public burial grounds. https://www.namm.org.uk/public-information/insuring-memorial/

For further information on the decisions taken in regards the Edgewell Cemetery Service Level Agreement please contact the office or read the papers for the meeting of the council, held on 28th November 2018. http://www.prudhoetowncouncil.gov.uk/index.asp?pageid=681377