SOMERSET Council has updated its website to include Easthill Cemetery on the Cemeteries in Somerset listing. It follows a complaint from Frome town councillor, Mark Dorrington, that the cemetery was not registered on the list.
At the full town council meeting on Wednesday 12th July, it was highlighted by cllr Dorrington that Somerset Council did not have Easthill cemetery listed on its website, after looking into this issue when a resident complained about rubbish, weeds and lack of watering cans at Easthill Cemetery.
Cllr Anita Collier, who received the complaint from the resident, asked if a letter could be written to Somerset Council to clarify their ownership of the cemetery and to ask someone to look at the weed situation.
She said, “I have an email from one of my constituents regarding Easthill Cemetery. She wrote to Somerset Council about it, saying it was really untidy with weeds two to three feet high, no watering cans around and a lot of rubbish. They also apparently told her that they didn’t have it on their list of cemeteries and that they are looking into it.”
Highlighting that the cemetery does look maintained but did not appear on the Somerset Council cemetery listings, cllr Mark Dorrington said, “I went there today and the cemetery is being maintained and it looks no different to when I normally see it and I was looking out for what your constituent said. I saw people using watering cans, there wasn’t any rubbish and it was mown as it normally is.
“However, when I went home, I did search the Somerset Council website for cemeteries in Frome and according to them, there are six cemeteries for the whole of Somerset, five in Taunton and one in Wellington. There are no cemeteries shown anywhere else, apart from that on the Somerset website.
“On your constituent’s behalf I have written a complaint to Somerset Council. I have asked: ‘do you have cemeteries in Frome because they look like they are being maintained and if so, can you update your website, because anybody looking for one won’t find anything.”
Somerset Council has now updated the website to include Easthill Cemetery saying, “Somerset Council owns and maintains Easthill Cemetery.
“The reason it was not listed was human error during the transition to the new unitary council, which we apologise for, and have now resolved.
“Finally, yes, if someone has any questions about the cemetery, please contact Somerset Council.”
