AN ETON resident has raised concern over the “totally overgrown” cemetery where his parents and grandparents are buried.
Ian Findlay, of Eton, has visited Eton Town Cemetery for many years since his dad died in 1966.
He said it’s upsetting to go down to the cemetery to see the graves as it’s been in a mess for as long as he can remember.
“It’s completely overgrown because it’s been unattended for so long and has never been looked after by the council,” he said.
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“It’s got in such a state and there’s even one tree that fell down during the recent storms that seems to have just been left there.
“The one remedy that helped was when a vicar bought a goat there to eat all the grass, but that’s it.”
Mr Findlay contacted the council on March 5 but hasn’t received a response yet.
Deputy Mayor and Eton Town Councillor Malcolm Leach said the overgrown issues at Eton Town Cemetery were brought to the attention of Kevin Mist, Head of Communities and Economic Development Corporate Services at the time, at RBWM, in 2016.
Cllr Leach said: “Talks were very positive and Kevin introduced Ian May of the Boyne Grove Community Resource Centre, leading the Park Team, which is a small group of individuals with learning disabilities who are employed by RBWM on a Wednesday and Thursday morning for tasks of this nature.”
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Cllr Leach said the Park Team attended the cemetery on a regular basis, which “greatly improved” graves and surrounding shrubbery.
He added this maintenance exposed many long hidden graves.
“From 2016 to 2021 there was an immense improvement to this wonderful historic cemetery,” Cllr Leach added.
“There are many local residents with ancestors interned in the Town Cemetery and it is clearly the responsibility of RBWM to maintain this community site.”
Cllr Samantha Rayner, of the Eton and Castle Ward, said she wasn’t made aware of the issues until now.
Cllr Rayner went to visit the cemetery last week to address the issue and said contractors Tivoli were due to go there and tidy it up.
She has confirmed the Parks Team will go and review the situation soon.
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