Grieving widow wins battle to keep items on husband’s grave at Eckington Cemetery

Jean White, 71, lost her husband Peter in September 2018 and tends to his grave at Eckington Cemetery regularly – placing artificial grass, solar lights, decorative pots and a small fence close to his headstone.

But, just seven months after Peter’s burial, the heartbroken grandmother received a letter from Eckington Parish Council, which manages and maintains the cemetery, requesting that items be removed ‘within 14 days’, leaving her devastated.

However, after fighting the ruling for over a year, the council have now agreed that Mrs White can keep the decorations as she was never told otherwise.

Mrs White, who is from Chesterfield, said: "They’ve said as long as I put proper granite kerbstones around Peter’s grave then I keep everything. I don’t mind that as I wanted those in the first place.

"They thought we’d been given rules to say we couldn’t put anything on the graves and I told them we hadn’t so they said it’s a policy for the cemetery, but that section they’re going to allow to be traditional and from now the rest will be lawned.

“I’d like to thank my MP, Toby Perkins for his help.”

On its website, Eckington Parish Council says that artificial grass, kerbstones, and surrounds, are not permitted on the plots to allow the cemetery team to maintain the lawned area.

And, while items including monuments and vases are sometimes allowed, approval by the cemetery superintendent must be sought first.

Mrs White had been due to have a meeting with council chiefs on July 10, but this was rescheduled around three times before a final decision was made last week.

“It’s taken that much pressure off me it’s unbelievable,” Mrs White added. “I’ve been really down about it and I was dreading the answer from the council. Now I can visit the grave without worrying that somebody will be taking the stuff off. I’m just so happy now and I can start to let myself grieve properly now.”

Eckington Parish Council has been contacted for comment.

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