More on old bones

I put in an Freedom of Information request into HDC asking about closed churchyards and how much they cost for HDC to maintain. The reason behind this was an article where HDC stated they were in charge of a closed churchyard in Colne. I thought this strange because the Town and Parish Councils normally pick up these costs. We do in St Neots. Colne seems to be a special case.

From the FOI answer £4500 was sent on Colne with an extra £1500 spent on cutting grass at Ramsey and Farcet - say £750 each. Now it isn't as though this couldn't be afforded by these Parish Councils.

These Parishes pay a lot less than here in St Neots. The question is could the parishes afford this burden. The tax base says yes.

Farcet would add £1.30 to a Band D Bill. Ramsey would add £0.26 and Colne would add £13.08. All below what we pay in St Neots.

The piece of information that did pop up as the £286.86 spent on a contractor at Hemingford Grey. So how are the Councillors for Hemingford Grey? Cllr Bates (Leader of the Council) and Cllr Stephens.

I do believe all Town and Parish Councils should be treated the same. So if one gets a concession then all get the same. The problem is HDC doesn't seem to work that way with exceptions to the rule all over the place. Either HDC maintains all Closed Churchyards or the Town Councils and Parish Councils do. No exceptions!

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Re: Freedom of Information Act – FOI Request No 1494.

I am writing in respect of your recent enquiry for information held by the Authority under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act. We have dealt with your request under the Freedom of Information Act.

Your request for information has now been considered and the information requested is enclosed.

You requested:

‘In a report in the Hunts Post there is a problem with bones being unearthed at a graveyard in Colne. The article goes onto state that HDC is responsible for the maintenance of grass and pathways. I therefore request how much it costs the Council to maintain this graveyard in the last financial year and whether HDC or Colne Parish Council was charged for this maintenance.’

Colne had about £4500 spent on it by Countryside Services last year, as it has taken a lot of effort to bring it up to standard compared to other closed churchyards.

‘Further I would like to know whether HDC maintains any other graveyards and the costs and who pays for the maintenance in the last financial year.’

Of the others (Farcet and Ramsey) we spend around £1500 per year cutting the grass.

There was also £286.68 spent on a contractor at Hemingford Grey