Advice for the owner(s) of an Exclusive Right of Burial

Ownership of a Deed of Grant for an Exclusive Right of Burial does not imply ownership of the land itself or the right to carry out any particular activity on the grave plot.

The land is still owned by Nutfield Parish Council, however it does allow the owner to decide who may be buried there (and whether or not to have a memorial headstone) for a certain period.

Where an Exclusive Right of Burial has been granted in respect of the grave and a request is made to prepare it for burial, the Deed of Grant must be presented to a representative of Nutfield Burial Board.

The owner named on the Deed must be the person making the request or the person being interred.

The Deed of Grant can be transferred during the owner(s) lifetime, or on the death of the last surviving owner.

Transfer forms are available from Nutfield Parish Council, please contact us for more details in order for us to provide you with the correct forms. A transfer fee will apply (please see current fees and regulations sheet for the fee).

The application for a memorial should be made to Nutfield Burial Board by the owner of the Deed of Grant, or on their behalf by a Funeral Director/Stonemason.

Nutfield Burial Board strongly recommends that memorials are insured against all eventualities. Your chosen stonemason should be able to assist you with this.

Responsibility for any memorial erected on a grave lies with the person named on the Deed of Grant pertaining to it. However, any memorial which is considered a potential safety hazard maybe re-affixed or laid to the ground by Nutfield Burial Board or a contractor acting on their behalf without notice to the owner. All costs will be recharged back to the owner.

It is important for us to have your current address in case we need to contact you regarding the Grave. If you change address, please let us know in writing as soon as possible.

All vases, statues, plants and flowers (where permitted) that are left on graves are left at the owner’s risk. You may wish to mark these with the identifying grave number.

Nutfield Burial Board reserve the right to remove items which are a health and safety risk, such as glass items, or items not permitted in the relevant Cemetery/ Woodland Burial regulations.

Form ADVICE19 Updated October 2019