Yahoo News Cambridge family says cemetery looks like 'disused allotment' as grass covers graves
A Cambridge family has said that the city cemetery on Newmarket Road looks like a "disused allotment" as overgrown grass has covered the graves. A Cambridge City Council spokesperson said the authority is working to get the grass cut back as soon as possible after warm and wet conditions caused fast growth.
Nevil Jackson has family members including his grandmother, mother, father, and brother laid to rest at the cemetery. He said his sister had visited on Father's Day and found the cemetery was 'all overgrown' but thought it was down to No Mow May.
"I went back on July 4 and it was getting worse," Mr Jackson said. "My grandmother's grave – we had trouble finding that because that's only got one of those little square vase things on it, and we couldn't find it."
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He said his family had been upset by the apparent lack of maintenance at the cemetery. "My sister was in tears, as was my niece, when they went up on Father's Day," he added.
"My sister's been up with some shears just to do the grass around the grave. And I said, 'we're going to have to buy a cordless strimmer or something or cordless mower to go up there'."
James Elms, City Services Director said: "We apologise for the distress this has caused to the family and other visitors of the cemetery. Due to the wet and warm conditions the grass is growing much quicker than normal, resulting in the recent overgrowth.
"We are seeing this across the whole city. We are working hard to ensure that the growth at cemetery is cut back as quickly as possible.
"There are some areas where we have allowed the grass to grow slightly longer to promote biodiversity. This is in line with the council's Biodiversity motion – we have been following a less intensive cutting programme in some areas of the cemetery to encourage a more diverse habitat.
"We understand the importance that visiting the cemetery has for families and friends of those that have passed away and we aim to keep the cemetery in the best conditions possible."
