Norwich City Council has a legal duty to make sure memorials in our cemeteries are safe for visitors, staff and contractors. As part of this responsibility, we commission a specialist contractor to carry out memorial safety inspections through a rolling inspection programme.
There are around 50,000 memorials across our cemeteries, mainly in Earlham and Rosary cemeteries, as well as some in closed churchyards. Inspections will take place over several years and continue on an ongoing basis.
If a memorial is found to be unstable following inspection, it may be fitted with a yellow tag to make visitors aware. We understand this can be upsetting for families and loved ones, but these measures are necessary to help keep everyone safe.
When the first round of testing is complete, we will try to contact all affected grave owners whose details we have.
If a memorial you have visited has been tagged
The questions below explain why memorials are tagged, what happens next, and what support is available to grave owners.
The memorial has been identified as unstable following a safety inspection.
The council has a legal duty to ensure memorials are safe. Inspections are carried out by trained personnel using recognised, non-invasive methods, including applying gentle pressure (up to 25kg) to check stability.
Memorials are assessed on stability and safety, not age or appearance. A newer memorial may fail if it moves too much during testing or is poorly fixed. A leaning memorial may not be tagged if it remains stable and does not pose an immediate risk.
The grave owner (the holder of the Exclusive Right of Burial) is responsible for maintaining the memorial.
If a memorial is found to be unsafe, the grave owner must arrange for it to be repaired by an accredited memorial mason or removed if preferred. The council does not receive any income from this work.
Memorials should also be insured in line with cemetery regulations.
If you are not the registered grave owner, or if the owner has died, you may need to apply to transfer ownership before any work can be carried out.
If you are the registered grave owner, you will need to contact an accredited memorial mason of your choice.
All work must meet current safety standards and comply with national guidance. We recommend using a mason who works to recognised industry standards such as the British Register of Accredited Memorial Masons (BRAMM) guidelines (PDF).
We ask that repairs are arranged within 3 to 6 months of the memorial being identified as unsafe (the timeframe requested will depend on the detail of individual assessments).
This allows time to contact a memorial mason and arrange appropriate work, while ensuring the cemetery remains safe for visitors.
In cases where a memorial poses a more immediate risk, temporary safety measures may be put in place.
If repairs are not carried out within the agreed timeframe, the council may need to take action to make the memorial safe.
This could include temporarily supporting or laying the memorial flat to prevent risk to visitors. This is always done as a last resort and with sensitivity.
The inspection process includes:
This approach follows recognised industry guidance and focuses on identifying memorials that may pose a risk.
Although incidents are rare, unstable memorials can pose a risk of injury, with serious incidents occurring in the UK in recent years.
The council has a duty of care under health and safety legislation to ensure cemeteries remain safe places for visitors, staff and contractors.
No. The council does not carry out repair work and does not receive any income from memorial repairs.
If a memorial is found to be unsafe, the registered grave owner is responsible for arranging and paying for any repairs through a memorial mason of their choice.
The council’s role is limited to inspecting memorials and taking proportionate action where there is a safety risk. These inspections are carried out to meet our legal duty to keep cemeteries safe for visitors, staff and contractors.
Memorials are prioritised based on the level of risk they pose.
Those that present an immediate safety risk may be made safe straight away, while others are monitored or given time for repairs. This ensures action is proportionate and focused on protecting visitors.
Memorials are privately owned, and responsibility for repairs rests with the grave owner.
The council does not carry out repairs except in exceptional circumstances, and only where needed to remove an immediate safety risk.
Yes. Memorial safety inspections are part of an ongoing rolling programme. Memorials will be re-inspected periodically based on risk and condition.
If you have any questions or need help, please contact the Bereavement Services team:
