Plans to remove flower beds at Bexhill Cemetery branded 'an absolute travesty'

Rother District Council (RDC) announced a raft of cost-cutting measures this week in relation to how it maintains its open spaces across the district.

These include leaving grass to grow longer on verges, as well as removing flower beds at the cemetery in Bexhill.

But the plans affecting the cemetery have been branded an ‘absolute travesty’.

Almost 500 people have signed an online petition set up by Sharon Blagrove.

She said: “Rother District are making cuts left, right and centre and you only have to walk around our town to see that certain things are on a downward turn.

"By their own admission, money is 'tight' but they must look to themselves because they make every financial decision for our town.

"Recently, they dug up the flowers from the town hall square, and they are going to grass it over. Some of he seafront will be getting the same treatment, it just looks awful now.

"When I found out their plan to do away with the flowers at the Bexhill Cemetery Garden of Remembrance, I created a petition against it. People are really sad about this. Bexhill Cemetery was created in 1900 and covers 34 acres.

"The council is planning to dig up the flower beds in the lovely Garden of Remembrance and intend to grass them over. This is an absolute travesty and must not be allowed to happen. Bees and other wildlife will also be affected. Our loved ones are buried in the cemetery, we cannot allow the council to do this.”

RDC said it has brought in the measures due to a £3 million financial gap, caused by cuts to Government funding, rising costs and increased demand for services.

The council said it has therefore had to announce changes to the way it maintains its open spaces across the district.

It said the changes will support the environment, reduce pressure on water use during the summer and save money.

The decision was taken as part of the district council’s budget setting process.

Cllr Hazel Timpe, portfolio holder for neighbourhood services, tourism, joint waste contract, said: “While these changes are necessary to help us save costs, there are huge benefits to the environment and biodiversity, as well as increasing our climate resilience.

“We are fortunate to live in a beautiful part of the country and are committed to keeping our public spaces looking attractive, and as neat and tidy as possible within tight budget constraints.”

RDC said the grass may be left slightly longer in places before cutting, and in some locations, paths may be cut through or around the longer grass, creating a meadow-like feel to open spaces.

Annual bedding, which the authority said is costly to purchase and maintain, not particularly good for biodiversity and requires a lot of watering, will be replaced with grass or wildflowers in the autumn.

There will be no changes to grass cutting at Bexhill Cemetery Garden of Remembrance, but bedding will be replaced by spring bulbs and grass, as it will in other cemeteries in the district, the council said.

The petition can be found at www.change.org/p/stop-rother-district-council-from-removing-flower-beds-from-bexhill-cemetery.