Waveney District Council aims to maintain
its cemeteries to a high standard and provide a final resting place
for your loved ones in peaceful and attractive
surroundings.
Choosing a grave
Waveney District Council’s
cemeteries offer various options. Please take a moment to
familiarise yourself with the types of grave available and be sure
to select the appropriate section of the cemetery. Please note that
a wrong decision at this point could mean that you will not be able
to have the memorial of your choice.
View further information about grave memorials
How do I buy a grave?
Your funeral
director can help to make all the necessary arrangements for buying
the rights to a grave, however some people prefer to make their own
arrangements. We are happy to offer you any advice and assistance,
or answer any questions or concerns that you may have.
What is it that I actually buy?
The
payment for a grave is for the purchase of the Exclusive Right of
Burial, which grants the person(s) named upon it the exclusive
right to decide who may be buried within the grave for a period of
fifty years. It also allows you to place a memorial upon the grave.
A further period may be purchased if required.
Is it possible to buy a grave in advance?
Yes. This is fairly common when a family wish to have a grave close
to another member of family, or if you are making your own funeral
arrangements with a funeral director in advance (sometimes referred
to as a "funeral plan"). We can select a suitable grave for you, or
you can arrange to meet us in your preferred cemetery to view the
options available to you.
How much does it cost to buy a grave?
The
price for the Exclusive Right of Burial changes annually.
Please view our Cemeteries Fees & Charges or
Green Burials Fees & Charges, or contact
us for details.
Do I have to buy the rights to the grave
space?
No. There are a number of graves available in
our cemeteries that may be used if you do not wish to buy the
rights to a grave (these graves are known as "common graves").
However, it is worth bearing in mind that you will not be able to
have a memorial or have any say in who else gets buried within the
grave space.
Transferring the rights of a grave.
If
the owner(s) of the Exclusive Right of Burial is alive, this can be
done easily with their permission. If the owner is deceased
however, this can sometimes be quite an involved issue, and
situations vary depending upon individual circumstances. Please
contact us for details.
What happens if/when all the owners have
died?
Ownership of the exclusive Right of Burial in
a grave can be transferred from a deceased owner via that owner's
estate. The means of transfer can be very complex and while there
is a set procedure to follow, each case must be looked at
individually. If you need to transfer ownership when all owners are
deceased you will need to contact us.
Can cremated remains be buried within the
cemeteries?
Yes. There are dedicated areas in our
cemeteries, with smaller plots, for this purpose. Cremated remains
can also be interred in a full grave space.
When can burials take place?
Burials can
take place on any weekday, except bank holidays. Please talk to
your funeral director or contact us to discuss any specific
needs.
Are all the graves on consecrated ground?
Most of our cemeteries have grave spaces available in consecrated
(blessed as sacred by the Church of England) and unconsecrated
areas.
Further Information.
Further information
can be found within our Cemetery Regulations and the
Local Authorities Cemeteries Order 1977
and also by following the links below:
Dogs in Cemeteries
Visit
the Dog Control page of this website
Diocese:
Norwich (deal with the Lowestoft
and Kirkley areas):
http://www.norwich.anglican.org/
(Opens new window)
St Edmundsbury (deal with the rest of the Waveney district):
http://www.stedmundsbury.anglican.org/
(Opens new window)
Probate Office:
http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/infoabout/civil/probate/index.htm
(Opens new window)
Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium
Management:
http://www.iccm-uk.com/ (Opens
new window)
Home Office:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/
(Opens new window)
Suffolk County Council Registrar of Births, Marriages and
Deaths (useful for copies of death certificates and
records. Also necessary for registering a death):
http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/BirthsMarriagesAndDeaths/
(Opens new window)
Norfolk County Council Registrar of Births, Marriages and
Deaths :
http://www.norfolk.gov.uk/consumption/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&ssDocName=NCC041904
(Opens new window)
How to contact us.
Email:
cemeteries@waveney.gov.uk
Telephone: 01502 523376
Fax: 01502 508590
By post (or in person):
Cemeteries
Office
Normanston Nurseries
Monckton Avenue
Lowestoft
NR32 3EQ
If you have any comments or queries regarding the Cemeteries
Service, our staff would be pleased to hear from
you.