Repairing of Memorials - Freedom of information requests

Repairing of Memorials

15355

20/06/2021

EIR

I sent a complaint (reference 101002007881) to SBC regarding their failure to follow the 'Burial Ground Memorial Safety Guidance for Scotland's Local Authorities' procedures. This document was published in June 2019 and Scottish Borders Council are listed as a contributor to this document and the "guidance has been developed with contributions from and in agreement with" them.
So although SBC are in agreement with this guidance it was seem they are intent on not following it (a case of "do as I say, not what I do")

In the case of posting individual notices the following must be reiterated, as the damage caused to the cemeteries within the Borders is down to the councils failure to follow guidance they helped to draw up :-

From the Daily Record
"Every one of these memorials could have been fixed without digging them into the ground. We would have taken them apart and put them back together in an hour. Two new pins would have done the job.”

Dumfries and Galloway are now following these procedures and posting Individual Notices on stones that have failed testing.

In reply to complaint 101002007881 the council stated

"If a memorial is to be repaired, Scottish Borders Council will liaise with the appointed Monumental Mason with a view to removing the memorial from its socketed position and install a new foundation at no additional cost to the lair-holder prior to the Monumental Mason undertaking the repairs."

I wish to know

a) the annual budget SBC had for the repairing of memorials in the financial year 2020/2021.

b) the annual budget SBC has for the repairing of memorials in the financial year 2021/2022.

c) the number of memorials tested between the 1st January 2021 to the 20th June 2021

d) the number of memorials that failed testing between the 1st January 2021 to the 20th June 2021

e) the number of memorials socketed or laid flat and not repaired. between the 1st January 2021 to the 20th June 2021

f) the number of memorials repaired by the council between the 1st January 2021 to the 20th June 2021

g) why memorials , which did not have a foundation, failed testing, and were laid flat, were not socketed back into the hole they were dug up from.

a) Zero
b) Zero
c) 9450 memorials tested
d) 459 memorials failed the testing, 360 laid flat, 98 socketed and 1 cordoned off
e) As Above
f) Zero
g) Each headstone is individually risk assessed and the best method to make safe is undertaken at the time of inspection.