‘Urgent’ works needed at Leicester cemetery to tackle flooded graves
"Urgent" works are needed at a Leicester cemetery prone to flooding, a report has found. Graves in the extension of Gilroes Cemetery have repeatedly been hit by “extensive” flooding over the years.
Families of those buried at the Groby Road site reached out to LeicestershireLive in 2022 to raise awareness of the issue. They spoke of their distress and the "heartbreaking state of their loved-ones' final resting places. One told LeicestershireLive she had seen a grieving husband using a bucket to scoop water out of his wife’s grave, while another said his mum “lays awake all night worrying” about the state of his father’s grave.
At the time, Leicester City Council, which is responsible for the cemetery, said it was carrying out work to address the problem. Now, a new report published by the local authority reveals “urgent” action is still needed to tackle the flooding years after the problem was first raised.
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The council has blamed the situation on “issues with the existing drainage”. There are “large areas” of the cemetery extension which have “only 50mm” of topsoil, and this “does not drain”, the report said. As a result, there is “extensive localised flooding” with water pooling “on and around graves”, causing “distress” to visiting relatives.
Further issues have been caused by vehicles having to drive on grass to allow other motorists to pass on the narrow roads. This has caused “damage” to the verges and areas “immediately around graves”, the council said. A lack of parking at the site has further exacerbated this.
The council is now proposing to create a one-way system to stop vehicles having to drive on the grass verges. It will also improve drainage, though the report does not set out how this will be done.
These measures will “alleviate standing water and prevent continuing degradation of the landscaping, reducing the maintenance burden and improving the experience of visitors,” the authority added.
The project is expected to cost around £675,000 and will be paid for by the council. City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby signed off on the funding last week.