'Don't hold your breath on answers over Shiregreen Cemetery monuments' - Reader's letter
Latest Shiregreen Cemetery monument sparks debate
Reading Sarah Marshall's excellent article in the 21st September in The Star 'Huge monument marking life of a 'legend' appears in city cemetery' is a fine example of deja vu albeit this is not the first time it has happened!
A gargantuan (sic) memorial to Willy Collins was erected at Shiregreen Cemetery in March 2022 without full compliance with Sheffield City Council (SCC) regulations on appropriate memorials.
This caused great distress to relatives of loved ones at the cemetery who had abided by the council guidance on the size and type of the memorial which may or may not be erected especially as small tributes left on graves in memory of children were removed by cemetery officials.
This insensitive action also provoked public condemnation resulting in SCC, having previously raised concerns with the Collins family regarding the monument differing from what had been approved by them, disclosing that it had taken legal advice and complained to higher authority with a view to rectifying the construction and that they were awaiting a reply which could take several months.
Several years have now elapsed and we still have no public information about the outcome. Could this possibly be because the Collins traveller family had publicly threatened SCC with 'dire retribution' if the memorial was tampered with or removed?
A particular cause for concern was the installation of a working jukebox playing music favoured by the family, this was considered very disrespectful and inappropriate in a cemetery.
In 2026 we now have a similar situation except that the erection of a 30 - tonne black marble monument has seemingly mysteriously appeared in the Shiregreen Cemetery close to that of Willy.
From the article it can be perceived that SCC may be unaware that this has happened and if it is aware was their full approval given before erection?
If not, what steps do they propose to take in this case?
If past experience is anything to allow judgement to be made the Sheffield community should not hold its breath based on SCC seemingly turning a blind eye because of the threat of aggressive retaliation by the travelling community.
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