Safety work to be carried out on unstable memorials in council cemeteries

15 October 2025

Unstable memorials identified during an inspection of Powys County Council's cemeteries will soon be made safe - either by being laid flat or made safe by other appropriate means - to ensure these spaces remain safe for visitors.

Earlier this year, the council oversaw a memorials inspection programme across its cemeteries, with memorials assessed and placed into one of three categories:

• Category 1 (Red): Unsafe and in need of immediate attention
• Category 2 (Amber): Unstable but not posing an immediate risk
• Category 3 (Green): Stable and no action required

Category 1 memorials were made safe at the time of inspection, with bilingual red notices placed on them.

Category 2 memorials were marked with bilingual amber notices, advising that they were unstable and require repair. If these memorials were not repaired within six months of inspection, they would be laid flat or made safe by other appropriate means.

This six-month period has now elapsed. From November, the council's contractor will begin revisiting Category 2 memorials to carry out this work.

Bilingual information signs will be placed at cemetery entrances ahead of the work to inform visitors.

Cllr Richard Church, Cabinet Member for a Safer Powys, said: "We understand how important memorials are to families, and we want to give people every opportunity to make the necessary repairs. However, we must also ensure that our cemeteries remain safe places for everyone to visit.

"If a Category 2 memorial has not been repaired, we will have no choice but to lay it flat or make it safe in another way."

For more information, please contact the council's Environmental Protection Service by emailing environmental.protection@powys.gov.uk or calling 01938 551300.