Graveyard Policy for St Peter the Apostle Church, Byers Green
Burial, monuments and exhumation are, along with all other matters relating to churchyards, regulated by law.
Rights to burial
Unless the churchyard has been closed by Order in Council the following have a right to burial in our churchyard:
• those resident in Byers Green, St Peter’s parish
• those whose names are on Byers Green, St Peter’s Electoral Roll
• those dying in Byers Green, St Peter’s parish.
The Incumbent and PCC may also allow burial of those who do not fall within the above categories.
At Byers Green, St Peter’s, the Incumbent and the PCC will also consider applications from people who have had a substantial link to Byers Green, St Peter’s Church:
For example, applications will be considered from:
· Anyone who has been on Byers Green, St Peter’s electoral roll for a period of 6 years of more and who has habitually worshipped at St Peter’s but who has moved away from the Parish, near the end of their lives, for care, family reasons etc.
· Anyone where the deceased has a first order relative (spouse, parent, sibling, child) already buried in the graveyard.
This list is not intended to be exhaustive, other applications will be considered but are less likely to be successful.
Burial Regulations
The PCC stresses two particularly important aspects of the regulation of churchyards:
1. The interment of human remains, whether of corpses or cremated remains, is final; the grant of a faculty for exhumation is given only in exceptional circumstances.
2. There are Diocesan Churchyard Regulations that must be adhered to.
Grave Spaces and Faculties
It is possible to apply for the reservation of a grave space in our churchyard through the grant of a faculty. This might be done, for instance, where it is desired to reserve a plot adjacent to the resting place of a family member.
However, if space in the churchyard is limited, the consistory court may judge that reservation would prejudice future burials. If a space has not been reserved by faculty, the incumbent must designate a plot for burial.
Memorials may only be introduced in accordance with the Diocesan Churchyard Regulations (updated 2012), or exceptionally, following the grant of a faculty. This means that:
- The size, materials and wording of any memorial may only be within the parameters of the Regulations.
- Additional items such as photographs, toys and windmills are not permitted
See: Diocesan Churchyard Regulations (PDF), Diocesan Churchyard Regulations (Word)
Registration
Before a burial takes place, the minister must be satisfied that a ‘certificate of disposal’ of the body has been issued by the Registrar or Births and Deaths, or a corresponding order made by the Coroner. The detachable portion of the certificate should be returned by the minister to the Registrar within 96 hours of the burial. The burial should also be recorded in the church registers in the normal way.
Cremated remains
The same rights apply in relation to the interment of cremated remains as with normal burials.
Fees
Fees are payable for interments, as well as for funeral services in a church. Fees are agreed annually by the Archbishop’s Council and PCC.