West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 – 2025
Lambeth Parks & Greenspaces 4th Floor Blue Star House 234-244 Stockwell Road 020 7926 9000 [email protected] Contents Item Page
Foreword 6
1. Introduction 7
2. General Site Information 8
2.1 General Context 8 2.2 Name, Address & Location 8 2.3 Physical & Geographical Details 9 2.3.1 Area of Site 9 2.3.2 Grid Reference 9 2.3.3 Access 9 2.3.4 Land Tenure 12 2.3.5 Status and Planning Context 12 2.3.6 Public Rights of Way 13 2.3.7 Geology 13 2.3.8 Hydrology & Drainage 14 2.3.9 Planning Authority 14 2.3.10 Electoral Information 14 2.3.11 Demographic Information 14
3 History of West Norwood Cemetery 16
3.1 Historical Evolution 16 3.2 Origins 16 3.3 Creation of the Cemetery 17 3.4 A Period of Change 19 3.5 A Period of Challenge 20 3.6 Current Status – Consolidation and Resolution 21 3.7 Looking to the Future 21
4. West Norwood Cemetery –Vision and Forward Planning 24
4.1 Drivers for Action and Change 24 4.2 Lambeth Parks & Greenspaces Strategic Plan 25 4.3 Management Plan – Intentions and Objectives 27 4.4 Proof of Success - Lambeth Open Spaces Strategy 28
5. West Norwood Cemetery –Status and Contents 29
5.1 Current Significance 29 5.2 Additional Features and Assets 53 5.2.1 Railings, Walls, Entrances and Gates 53 5.2.2 Grassland, Lawns and Formal Planting 54 5.2.3 Trees and Hedges 54 5.2.4 Nature Conservation Features 55 5.2.5 Toilets, Seating and Bins 56
2 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 Contents Item Page
6. Management and Conservation Strategy 57
6.1 Management Objectives 57 6.2 Management and Conservation Vision 57 6.3 Management and Conservation Policies 58
7. West Norwood Cemetery is a Welcoming Place 65
7.1 Objectives 65 7.2 Management Objectives 65 7.3 Accessibility 65 7.4 A Visible Presence 66 7.5 Buildings 66 7.6 Signage 66 7.6.1 Entrance Signs 66 7.6.2 Directional Signage 66 7.6.3 Information Signage 66 7.6.4 Behavioural Signs 68
8. West Norwood Cemetery is a Healthy, Safe and Secure Place 69
8.1 Objectives 69 8.2 Management Actions 69 8.3 Risk Reduction and Management 69 8.4 Dogs and Dog Control 70 8.5 Traffic Management 71
9. West Norwood Cemetery is Well Maintained and Clean 73
9.1 Objectives 73 9.2 Current Status and Management Actions 73 9.3 Grounds Maintenance – Practical Management 73 9.4 West Norwood Cemetery - Maintenance Objectives 73 9.4.1 Entrances 74 9.4.2 Paths 74 9.4.3. Drains and Covers 75 9.4.4 Walls, Fencing, Railings and Gates 75 9.4.5 Signage 75 9.4.6 Infrastructure, Furniture, Fixtures and Fittings 75 9.4.7 Operational Buildings 75 9.4.8 Grassland 75 9.4.9 Trees, Woodland and Scrub 76 9.4.10 Shrubs and Hedges 79 9.4.11 Seasonal, Rose and Other Planted Beds 79 9.5 Cleanliness and Waste Removal 80 9.5.1 Litter, Flytipping and Clinical Waste 80 9.5.2 Dog Waste 81 9.5.3 Graffiti and Flyposting 81
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10. West Norwood Cemetery is a Sustainable Site 82
10.1 Objectives 82 10.2 Current Status and Management Actions 82 10.3 Sustainability in Parks and Open Spaces 82 10.4 Recycling of General Waste 82 10.5 Recycling, Composting and Peat Policy 83 10.6 Pesticides and Fertilisers 84 10.7 Water Conservation 85
11. West Norwood Cemetery as a Conservation and Heritage Flagship 86
11.1 Objectives 86 11.2 Current Status and Management Actions 86 11.3 Protection and Enhancement of Heritage Character 86 11.3.1 Conservation of Buildings and Monuments 86 11.3.2 The Catacombs 89 11.3.3 The Greek Chapel 89 11.3.4 Walls, Fencing, Railings and Gates 90 11.3.5 Landscape Protection 91 11.4 Protection and Enhancement of the Natural Environment 91 11.4.1 The Lambeth Biodiversity Action Plan 91 11.4.2 Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation 92 11.4.3 Naturalised Area Management 92
12. The Community Involvement in West Norwood Cemetery 95
12.1 Objectives 95 12.2 Current Status and Management Actions 95 12.3. Community Involvement 95 12.4 Friends of West Norwood Cemetery 96 12.5 Education and West Norwood Cemetery 96 12.6 Voluntary Opportunities 98 12.6.1 Community Volunteering 98 12.6.2 Business Volunteering and Community Payback 99
13. West Norwood Cemetery is Well Marketed 100
13.1 Objectives 100 13.2 Current Status and Management Actions 100 13.3 Printed Information – Leaflets, Booklets and Guides 100 13.4 Lambeth Council Website Information 100 13.4.1 West Norwood Cemetery Web Information 101 13.4.2 Lambeth Parks – Other Relevant Information 101 13.5 Other Marketing Information 101 13.6 Public and Community Events 102
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14. West Norwood Cemetery is a Well Managed Site 103
14.1 Objectives 103 14.2 Current Status and Management Actions 103 14.3 Staffing and Management Structure 103 14.4 Grounds Maintenance Operations – Lambeth Landscapes 105 14.5 Management, Monitoring and Review 108
Appendices
1. West Norwood Cemetery – Extending Working Capacity 2. West Norwood Cemetery Maintenance Schedules and Programme 3. West Norwood Cemetery Community Consultation 2017
5 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 Foreword
In Lambeth we have over 60 parks, commons, cemeteries and other open spaces, which enrich all of our lives and make Lambeth a better place to live, visit, and work. From major and local events, casual and competitive sports, reflection and contemplation, through to outdoor play spaces for children, we know that parks and open spaces are necessities in the modern world.
Lambeth’s open spaces have experienced a renaissance in recent years, and we have seen our many active parks groups rise to become champions for green spaces, including exploring new models in how to manage and maintain them. We now have 14 Green Flag Award winning parks and cemeteries, the highest number we’ve ever had, and the latest Residents Survey revealed 76% of local people judged Lambeth’s parks and open spaces to be good or excellent.
To ensure they meet our customer’s needs, Lambeth’s parks, cemeteries and open spaces are managed to Green Flag Award standard, using a rigorous set of criteria such as being welcoming, healthy, safe and secure, clean and well maintained, sustainable, respecting wildlife and heritage, community involvement, well marketed and good management. We want all of our parks, cemeteries and open spaces to be able to fly a coveted Green Flag, or aspire to this challenging but highly rewarding indicator of quality. In addition, through our new in-house grounds maintenance service, Lambeth Landscapes, we now have the capacity and flexibility to respond quickly and efficiently to ensure our open spaces remain at that standard throughout the year.
We have recently implemented a Parks and Cemeteries Capital Investment Plan which sets out a framework to help everyone see what the priorities are for improving our parks and open spaces. It provides the evidence and rationale for investing in green spaces and underpins the thinking behind future improvement. This represents the biggest investment we have ever made in our open spaces; our Friends groups and the wider community have shown us time and again the value of our open spaces, and this demonstrates our commitment and a response to their efforts.
Yet while we have a vital role in delivering better open spaces, we cannot do it alone. This management plan is a story of partnerships where council and local people are working together to shape and deliver standards and improvement in this particular site. The impact our residents have had on the design and implementation of improvements across each parks and open spaces can never be understated. This plan shows what really matters to the many people that use this particular site. Working together, we hope this plan continues to act as the catalyst for stronger coordination to enhance its future and that of all of Lambeth’s parks and open spaces.
Thank you for joining our efforts to protect and improve our valuable parks, cemeteries and open spaces. If you require any further information with regards to this management plan and the work we’re doing to make it a safe, welcoming and enjoyable space to be in, please contact Lambeth Landscapes on 020 7926 9000 or at [email protected].
Councillor Sonia Winifred, Cabinet Member for Equalities and Culture
London Borough of Lambeth Olive Morris House Brixton Hill London SW2 1RD www.lambeth.gov.uk
1. Introduction
This document is a ten year management plan for West Norwood Cemetery, informed by consultation with user groups and staff, which aims to conserve its numerous heritage, natural and cultural assets and give direction and support in terms of its maintenance.
The plan comes at an exciting time for the cemetery, following an application in 2015 to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and Big Lottery Fund (BIG), under their ‘Parks for People’ programme, by Lambeth Council which owns and manages the site. This project aims to conserve a unique network of significant landscapes and built structures, as well as increase use of the cemetery of community and educational activities. Alongside proposals to conserve and interpret historic graves and monuments, are those for a new visitor centre and improve accessibility so as to encourage greater public use and engagement.
In January 2016 the HLF announced a grant of £241,000 towards the development of a full- scale restoration plan for the cemetery (https://www.hlf.org.uk/about-us/media-centre/press- releases/west-norwood-cemetery-secures-national-lottery-investment). In March 2016 Lambeth Council also agreed to match fund this HLF award with £225,000 until February 2018 which brought the total Stage 1 development budget to £466,000. A lead consultant was appointed in spring 2017 to take forward the Stage 1 development programme, lasting up to two years, which will enable detailed restoration and access plans to be produced in consultation with local stakeholders. Once the development plan is completed after around 2018, a full application will then be made to the HLF for a Stage 2 grant, which alongside other funding sources will realise a budget of over £7.5 Million that will be used to deliver the successful restoration of West Norwood Cemetery.
The current management plan aims to manage what is already present within the cemetery but also ensure standards are maintained whilst progresses up to and through the stages of this lottery application process. Should Stage 2 lottery funding be secured and a full restoration programme implemented, this plan will be reviewed and rewritten in order to take account of the changed environment that the cemetery will experience.
Nevertheless West Norwood Cemetery requires management to meet its current needs, and the purpose of the West Norwood Cemetery management plan is to:
• Provide guidance as to how it is managed and maintained to ensure it provides an enjoyable experience for present and future users; • Identify and address who is responsible for key aspects of its management; • Identify and resolve any issues affecting infrastructure, users and available resources; • Provide a benchmark for delivery and performance of identified objectives; • Provide a record of its upkeep and decisions made for future generations.
Structure of the Plan
The plan sets out the historic context and significance of West Norwood Cemetery, providing relevant background information and reviewing its present status and context. The remainder of the plan is structured around the Green Flag Award criteria, giving details of relevant management objectives, and how these objectives are achieved.
The plan also shows who is responsible for different aspects of the cemetery’s management, and how existing resources are used to achieve the long term vision for the site. Finally, a series of appendices provide background information and give sources of information useful for the management of the cemetery.
7 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 2. General Site Information
2.1 General Context
West Norwood Cemetery itself is a designated landscape of national importance, registered Grade II* on Historic England’s "Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest – West Norwood Cemetery and Crematorium". Originally laid out in 1837, the cemetery was characterised by wide vistas, interspersed with a network of paths, monuments and buildings, along with a variety of landscapes and views. The cemetery is also located within the "West Norwood Conservation Area CA24", which also contains a number of notable buildings and heritage features.
Despite a series of incremental changes to the cemetery’s content and layout over the years subsequent to its opening, many original features of the original layout remain intact. West Norwood Cemetery is of relatively high quality by comparison with other local open spaces and this is valued by its users; it is one of Lambeth – and London’s - most popular and well used open spaces because of the many notable monuments and tombs it contains, as well as key landscapes and views, and its rich ecological interest.
Figure 1. West Norwood Cemetery: view looking west towards main entrance area
2.2 Name, Address & Location
Name: West Norwood Cemetery and Crematorium Address: Norwood Road, West Norwood, London SE27 9JU
8 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 A general introduction to the cemetery and crematorium can be found on Lambeth Council’s West Norwood Cemetery web page, but plenty of additional information can be found on the website of the Friends of West Norwood Cemetery.
West Norwood Cemetery and Crematorium is located in the south-eastern part of the London Borough of Lambeth, in West Norwood which lies between Crystal Palace, Streatham, Brixton, Dulwich and South Norwood. The site itself is bounded by Norwood Road to the west (where the main entrance is located); Robson Road to the north; Martell Road, Vale Street and the Park Hall Trading Estate to the east; and Auckland Hill and Durban Road to the south. The site is essentially in the form of a large ‘dome’ although there are relatively level areas around the western and southern sides of the cemetery.
Figure 2 is an Ordnance Survey map of the cemetery, and Figure 3 shows the general layout with unconsecrated areas marked in red. Figure 4 is a schematic plan of the cemetery, showing principal buildings and key features like paths and roads, as well as the ‘grid square’ system that underlies the cemetery’s layout.
The nearest train station to the cemetery is West Norwood, which is about five minutes’ walk away to the west and south, and provides access to many parts of South or Central London. The cemetery is also well served by buses which stop just outside its main entrance on Norwood Road, and provide travel to places like Crystal Palace, Brixton, Camberwell, Stockwell and Vauxhall, but also to Peckham, Clapham Common and Croydon.
2.3 Physical & Geographical Details
2.3.1 Area of Site
The total area of West Norwood Cemetery is 17 hectares.
2.3.2 Grid Reference
The Grid Reference for the main entrance to West Norwood Cemetery is TQ 321 722
2.3.3 Access
Public access to the cemetery is via one set of gates on its western side on Norwood Road, which consist of a double set of large vehicle gates and a single pedestrian gate, which are opened each morning and closed each evening. There are another double set of vehicle gates slightly to the south of the main entrance on Norwood High Street, which are known as the ‘St. Luke’s Entrance’, but these are normally secured shut and only used for emergency or temporary access should the main gates be out of commission. Options are being discussed to create a new second public entrance on the south or eastern side of the site.
Opening times for access to the cemetery change according to the time of year, but the main gates are usually open at 8 am on Monday to Friday, and by 10 am on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays. From November to March the gates are closed by 4 pm each day, and by 6 pm from April to October. The cemetery office is usually open to the public from 8.45 am to 4.45 pm from Monday to Thursday, and 8 am to 4 pm on a Friday.
The cemetery is accessible to vehicles through the main gates and the public are permitted to drive in as well as council staff, hearses and other specialist vehicles servicing the crematorium and graves. There are parking spaces beside the entrance lodge and along the westernmost part of the main drive, and crematorium and chapel. Facilities are available to ‘ferry’ visitors from the main entrance up to various parts of the cemetery to help reduce excessive internal vehicle traffic, but parking alongside some of the main paths does occur.
9 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025
Figure 2. Ordnance Survey map of West Norwood Cemetery
10 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025
Figure 3. Map of West Norwood Cemetery showing general layout with non- consecrated areas outlined in red
11 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025
Figure 4. Schematic map of West Norwood Cemetery showing key buildings and features, and grid square system
The cemetery contains a mixture of paths of varying width and condition, ranging from wide tarmac to narrow grass paths, and some have surfaces that are uneven or need upgrading where care is required in using them. There are some areas off paths where the ground is uneven or hidden by buried or covered obstacles, and care is needed to use these. There are a number of buildings such as the Chapel, Crematorium and entrance lodge reception where public access is permitted during opening times or when burial/cremation ceremonies are taking place, but there are other buildings such as the staff depot or most of the entrance lodge where the public are not allowed to enter.
2.3.4 Land Tenure
The freehold of the greater part of the cemetery is held by the London Borough of Lambeth, having acquired the land from the South Metropolitan Cemetery Company in 1966. Two external bodies had previously been granted exclusive rights of burial by the Company, leading to the formation of the Greek Enclosure (1842, expanded 1860 and 1872) and the St Mary at Hill plot (established 1847); the council is currently investigating the precise nature of these tenures, in advance of any future restoration programme.
2.3.5 Status and Planning Context
West Norwood Cemetery is classified as a public open space in the Lambeth Local Plan (2015). It is also registered Grade II* on Historic England’s "Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest – West Norwood Cemetery and Crematorium" and lies within the "West Norwood Conservation Area CA24".
12 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025
Figure 5. A view of West Norwood Cemetery at night (London Borough of Lambeth)
In terms of historic buildings, West Norwood Cemetery currently contains 64 listed buildings, 7 of them which are at Grade II*, including many of the historic memorials. In addition to individual monuments and mausolea, there are specific entries - all at Grade II - for the catacombs, the walls, iron fences, railings, gate piers and gates on the west and south side, and the entrance arch and gates. Further details of many listed buildings are found later in the plan and on Historic England’s website at https://www.historicengland.org.uk/listing/.
In terms of nature conservation, West Norwood Cemetery is designated as a Grade I Site of Borough Nature Conservation Importance (SINC21) in not only the Lambeth Biodiversity Action Plan (2005) but also in the Lambeth Local Plan. This designation, which covers the whole site, was updated and re-confirmed in 2007. The cemetery is due to be included in a review of all of Lambeth’s SINCs in 2018 which will assess whether any designations needs to change and to identify any areas or issues for attention or improvement.
With respect to trees, the cemetery is not subject to any Tree Preservation Orders. However, being within a conservation area, Conservation Area Consent is required for works to any tree over 75mm in diameter at chest height.
2.3.6 Public Rights of Way
No public rights of way are known to exist across the site, and all paths are permissive.
2.3.7 Geology
West Norwood Cemetery is located on ground which rises eastward from 50 metres above sea level at the main entrance on Norwood High Street. The high ground forms a ridge rising above 60 metres across most of the site, which slopes downwards to the eastern boundary. The cemetery is underlain by London Clay to a depth estimated to be some 40 to 50 metres, beneath which lies approximately 30 metres of Thanet Sand Formation and Upper Chalk. The soil is understood to be clay/silt of a pH that is broadly neutral to slightly acid.
13 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 2.3.8 Hydrology & Drainage
Although there are no surface watercourses in the cemetery, the River Effra formerly crossed the site north to south at the western foot of the high ground. Although the Effra is normally inactive at surface, it had been culverted by 1841 and appears to be confined to a brick sewer that is shown on historic maps.
The dominance of London Clay in terms of geology and soils results in significant runoff and impermeability across much of the site, but groundwater in the underlying chalk aquifer appears to run in a north-north-westerly direction.
Improvements to the cemetery’s drainage, including a CCTV survey, clearance of existing drains and installation of French drains have been identified, and improvements have been undertaken in recent years. However, poor drainage and ponding on paths remains a problem on the eastern slopes, notably on the St Mary at Hill and Doulton Paths, east and west of the St Mary at Hill enclosure. It is unclear whether the damp area identified for nature conservation in part of the cemetery is fed by a natural source or by failed drains.
2.3.9 Planning Authority
The London Borough of Lambeth is the Local Planning Authority. However, given the cemetery’s relative proximity to the London Borough of Southwark, they can be consulted on planning issues or strategic planning policy matters that are deemed pertinent to the site.
2.3.10 Electoral Information
West Norwood Cemetery is located within the Knight’s Hill Electoral Ward and three elected Councillors represent the ward. However, the cemetery also sits alongside or close to the boundaries of two other Lambeth wards, Thurlow Park and Gipsy Hill. It is within the parliamentary constituency of Dulwich and West Norwood.
2.3.11 Demographics and Social Context
With the largest geographic area of any inner London borough, more than a third of a million people live in Lambeth – 303,086 in 2011, up from the last Census figure of 266,170 in 2001. This makes Lambeth the third largest London borough behind Newham and Wandsworth, a change from the last Census which placed Lambeth as the largest inner London borough ahead of Wandsworth. Largely residential, Lambeth is one of the most densely populated places in the country, with 113 people living in each hectare of land, the fifth highest for population density in the country.
It also has a high turnover of population; about 10% of the population leave each year and are replaced by around 10% new arrivals, but this high level of population change masks the fact that, in the main, many Lambeth residents have lived in the borough for a long time. The April 2013 Lambeth residents’ survey indicated that 66% of the population has been resident for over five years, and 52% over ten years.
Knight’s Hill and Gipsy Hill wards are among the three most densely populated wards in the borough. The population of Lambeth is predicted to rise by 12.9 per cent in the next twenty years to 2028, and that of the three wards by 16 per cent by 2021. 11.4 per cent of the population are aged over sixty, while 19.9 per cent are aged under 18. 38 per cent of the population are from ethnic minority backgrounds.
14 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 Knight’s Hill Ward has seen a notable increase in its population since 1991. It has high numbers of elderly people with long-term illnesses. It also has a high number of over-sixties as a proportion of its population, and a high number of older people in communal establishments. Thurlow Park Ward has seen a low increase in population in recent years. It has, the highest proportion of White British children in the borough and the highest population aged over sixty providing unpaid care. Like Knight’s Hill, Gipsy Hill Ward has a high number of elderly people with long-term illnesses and the highest number of unpaid carers working over 50 hours a week.
Figure 6. Monuments at West Norwood Cemetery (London Borough of Lambeth)
Recent Census data indicates Lambeth has decreased the levels of deprivation in all measures apart from overcrowding, which has risen by about 15% since 2001. The latest data on deprivation is the 2010 Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) which places Lambeth as the 5th most deprived borough in London and the 14th most deprived in England.
Those living in the most deprived areas are spread throughout the borough but particularly concentrated in the centre of the borough. The most affluent areas include the Dulwich border area of Thurlow Park. Lambeth has 177 super output areas (SOAs), each with roughly 1,500 residents. According to the 2010 IMD data only 8 of these 177 areas (5% of the borough, listed below) are in the 10% most deprived in the country compared to 26 (15%) in 2007. This indicates that although overall deprivation levels have increased over the last 3 years with the borough going from 19th to 14th most deprived in the country there are far fewer pockets of extreme deprivation than a few years ago.
15 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 3 History of West Norwood Cemetery
3.1 Historical Evolution
West Norwood Cemetery has a long interesting history, but this section provides only a short summary and a more detailed chronology can be found in those reports included in the ‘Further Reading’ section at the end of the plan.
3.2 Origins
West Norwood Cemetery, which first opened in 1837, owes its origins to the overcrowding of London’s churchyards which by the early 19th Century had reached a crisis point. New burial grounds were urgently needed and various individuals and groups speculated by purchasing land outside centre of London, in mainly residential suburbs or even in more rural areas surrounding the city. Seven new large cemeteries were laid out, which became known as the ‘Magnificent Seven’, and West Norwood was the second of these. An enabling Act was passed in 1836 (which has never been repealed) and land in ‘Lower Norwood’ in South London was purchased. Norwood had traditionally been an agricultural landscape on the edge of was originally part of the “Great North Wood”, and extensive area of mixed deciduous woodland.
Figure 7. View of the entrance to West Norwood Cemetery in 1908 (Lambeth Archives IV/100/AD/8/1)
The site purchased fell within the Manor of Lambeth, the freehold of which was held by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Thirty-nine acres of land were assembled by the cemetery’s original owners, the South Metropolitan Cemetery Company, from two principal holdings, and the Archbishop released these holdings from copyhold with deeds of enfranchisement on 31 November 1836 and 22 March 1837. Although elevated and well-drained, the site had little existing landscape interest except for a line of mature trees which ran across the eastern portion of the site as the River Effra, which originated in the escarpment above West Norwood and snaked northwards towards the River Thames, had already been culverted beneath the site the cemetery was to be built upon.
16 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 3.3 Creation of the Cemetery
The architect originally commissioned to design the cemetery, which was originally titled the South Metropolitan Cemetery, was William, later Sir William, Tite (1798-1873), and who’s most famous work is the Royal Exchange which opened in 1844.
Tite’s architectural style for the new cemetery was Gothic, and South Metropolitan Cemetery was significant in pioneering what would become the choice of architectural style for funerary architecture for the next century. Tite designed an imposing entrance in a Tudor Gothic style, with a forecourt, archway and lodge, two chapels - one Anglican or Episcopal and the other Non-Denominational or ‘Dissenters’, approached by winding carriageways, and with the whole site enclosed by high walls and railings.
The lavish architecture was designed to attract a wealthy clientele and although it provided for ‘common graves’, paid for by the public purse, South Metropolitan Cemetery was eager to attract an aristocratic or more affluent middle-class clientele. Indeed it succeeded in attracting many wealthy individuals to commission tombs and various mausolea, many of which can still be seen within the modern cemetery grounds.
William Tite is also generally credited with the laying out and landscaping of the South Metropolitan Cemetery, which was in an English style with clumps of deciduous trees dotted around the site, derived to some degree from the concurrent style of various private parks and gardens that were in favour with the early Victorian age (Figure 8). However, there is some evidence that various commercial nurserymen were also involved in the laying out of the cemetery such as Messrs. Buchanan and Olroyd.
Figure 8. Plan of West Norwood Cemetery 1836 (Lambeth Archives IV/100/AD/8/1)
17 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 Construction of the cemetery was rapid, and it was consecrated by the Bishop of Winchester on 7th December 1837, although about one third of the site was left unconsecrated for various dissenters. In 1842 exclusive rights to a small area in the north-eastern part of the cemetery was sold to form an enclosure for the Greek community, which was extended in 1860, 1872 and 1889, with a large Greek chapel added in 1872. The City parish of St Mary- at-Hill also acquired exclusive rights to a plot near the south-eastern corner in 1847. Of its 17 hectares, some 80 per cent of the cemetery is consecrated ground, giving the church’s Consistory Court jurisdiction over the graves and memorials across most of the site.
The South Metropolitan Cemetery was widely admired when it first opened and succeeded in attracting a wealthy clientele, as evidenced by the impressive collection of mid-nineteenth century memorials the modern cemetery still contains. Various Ordnance Survey plans note additional specimen trees and sporadic roadside and other planting, but this was often affected by the pressure for additional burial space. These maps also show that William Tite’s original proposed serpentine shrub perimeter had been replaced on the east and south boundaries of the cemetery by rows of deciduous trees.
The first and best record of the cemetery’s appearance in its heyday is the Ordnance Survey plan of 1870 (Figure 9) - the 1897 OS plan does not record the planting. Compared to Tite’s plan it records a significant additional layer of evergreen trees which had become fashionable since 1836; additional but sporadic road-side planting; planting associated with the two new enclosures; erosion of the clumps - presumably as dictated by the pressure for burial space; and an increase in specimen trees. In addition, Tite’s proposed serpentine shrubbery perimeter enclosing the whole, was replaced on the east and south boundaries by formal rows of deciduous trees.
Figure 9. West Norwood Cemetery from the 1st Edition 25” Ordnance Survey, surveyed 1870, published 1875
18 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 3.4 A Period of Change
As time went on, the cemetery’s maintenance standards became a matter of concern to the company directors. A perpetuity fund, established to support the cost of maintaining planting established by bereaved families at the time of burial, was inadequate for the increasing commitments. A planting programme in 1882 was dogged by failure of trees and shrubs, and in the same year a visiting committee’s report referred to the burden of repairing headstones.
In 1906 the committee commented on the poor condition of some roads, plus the problem of vandalism and disrespect. By 1896 observers remarked that the cemetery appeared overcrowded and filled with tombs, and as early as 1905 many remarked that the Cemetery was in a poor condition, with many headstones crooked and others broken on the ground, and the standard of grass maintenance was inadequate.
Figure 10. View of West Norwood Cemetery, c1891 (Reproduced with permission of Lambeth Archives)
In 1915, the Dissenters’ (Nonconformist) Chapel was extended to accommodate a crematorium, but by the twentieth century many of Tite’s principal buildings had been removed. Both chapels were damaged during the Second World War, and the Dissenters’ Chapel and crematorium were demolished (except for the crematorium chimney) in 1955, to be replaced by the present crematorium in 1960. The original Anglican Chapel was demolished in 1960 and replaced by the present rose garden. Catacombs survive beneath both structures, the former containing the crematorium furnaces, whilst in the latter the original Victorian arrangement of coffin recesses and a unique hydraulic lift were retained.
Tite’s original Gothic entrance lodge was demolished in the 1930s but its successor was destroyed during the Second World War, to then be replaced by the present building in 1950. Bomb damage during the Second World War also damaged a number of memorials. As a consequence of these various ‘alterations and losses’, apart from the paths and vestigial planting, only the main entrance arch, railings, walls and catacombs survive from Tite’s original scheme.
19 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 Despite the construction of the new crematorium, the South Metropolitan Cemetery Company’s financial situation continued to decline, and in 1966 the London Borough of Lambeth purchased the site compulsorily. In the following year the council began a ‘lawn conversion’ programme, which involved the removal of at least 10,000 memorials.
3.5 A Period of Challenge
In 1971 a ‘landscape improvement’ scheme was introduced by the council, which was now managing the cemetery in its entirety, with the ostensible aim of restoring the cemetery to its 1840s appearance with ‘concentrated groups of tombs set off against clumps of deciduous trees’; the cemetery was then designated as a Memorial Park.
Figure 11. View of West Norwood Cemetery, c1925 (Reproduced with permission of Lambeth Archives)
Levelling and removal of monuments was halted in 1980, although it restarted in 1990. At this point damage to listed memorials, along with the apparently illegal reuse of private graves: unused space in private graves was being sold to new purchasers who were not told that others were already buried in the plot. This was brought to the attention of the Archdeacon of Lambeth by the Friends of West Norwood Cemetery along with the Victorian Society and English Heritage (now Historic England), with a request that the Archdeacon initiate proceedings against the council.
In 1994 the Church Consistory Court found that the council’s removal of monuments and reuse of graves was illegal, although the Court granted the council’s application for a retrospective faculty in respect of other works carried out with conditions attached. One of these was establishment of a Scheme of Management Committee (SoMC) tasked with to overseeing the operation of the cemetery and developing a plan for its long term management and improvement.
20 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 3.6 Current Status – Consolidation and Resolution
Since the original Consistory Court judgment sale of space for new burials in the cemetery has ceased on account of the council having been unable to keep a proper site plan which could identify the location of individual graves. New burials was restricted to reopening of family graves (whether sold illegally or not) and the burial of cremated remains. In the 1980s a memorial tree planting programme had been introduced, which had resulted in a large number of young trees being scattered throughout the cemetery, although this was halted by the SoMC, pending the agreement of a proper management programme.
The SoMC has since overseen a number of conservation projects and is currently responsible for the spending of an annual capital budget provided by the council of some £350,000. The preparation of an agreed management plan, building on various reports and studies prepared for the SoMC, is also an important element of the council discharging of the original Consistory Court’s conditions.
3.7 Looking to the Future
Whilst management and maintenance of West Norwood Cemetery has now stabilised, and under the SoMC a robust programme of activities designed to protect existing heritage and landscape features are in place, it is widely recognised that more needs to be done to restore those that have been lost as a consequence of inappropriate decisions or illegal actions.
Whilst not all of those features that were originally part of William Tite’s original designs can be restored to the site, traditional vistas and landscapes should be recovered where this is feasible. Existing monuments and tombs, especially those with listed status, should be restored or at least stabilised, and much of the cemetery’s infrastructure such as drains, paths, railings and gates should be in a condition that they are safe and facilitate better public access and use of the site.
Figure 12. West Norwood Cemetery
21 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 Likewise, the cemetery’s original soft landscaping and specimen tree planting scheme needs to be restored, albeit respecting the presence of important wildlife habitat and burial plots that may have been added to the site in recent years. Whilst current revenue maintenance budgets and capital spend on the cemetery can go some way to addressing these requirements, it is obvious to the SoMC as well as cemetery staff that additional investment is needed in order to fully realise and deliver a complete restoration vision.
Therefore, in 2014 and 2015 a process was started whereby funding for the cemetery’s comprehensive restoration could be secured in order to not only protect its heritage status but also to rectify some or all of the past errors in management or redesign of the site which have taken it away from its original designer’s vision.
In January 2016 the HLF announced a grant of £241,000 towards the development of a full- scale restoration plan for the cemetery (https://www.hlf.org.uk/about-us/media-centre/press- releases/west-norwood-cemetery-secures-national-lottery-investment). In March 2016 Lambeth Council also agreed to match fund this HLF award with just over £225,000 over the following two financial years which brought the total Stage 1 development budget to £466,000. A lead consultant was appointed in spring 2017 to take forward the Stage 1 development programme, lasting up to two years, which will enable detailed restoration and access plans to be produced in consultation with local stakeholders.
Figure 13. West Norwood Cemetery
Once the development plan is completed by February 2018, a full application is made to the HLF for a Stage 2 grant, which along with other sources will realise a budget of over £7.5 Million that will be used to deliver the successful restoration of West Norwood Cemetery.
22 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 The application proposes conservation of the cemetery’s significant landscape and built structures, as well as increased community use. Proposals to conserve and interpret graves and monuments, along with a new visitor centre, will help inform of the cemetery’s rich history. Other works will enhance visitor amenities and accessibility, in order to encourage greater public use and engagement, in a part of Lambeth and London where residents suffer a chronic lack of quality open space.
Work on the Stage 1 development phase is now well under way, with a dedicated Project Manager in place who is formulating detailed restoration and access plans produced in consultation with local stakeholders. Appendix 3 contains examples of the publicity material and posters which are being used to seek public opinion and feedback during the Stage 1 development phase (copies of these consultation posters in large print format are available on request to readers of this plan). The aim of submitting a full grant application to the HLF and BIG for funding to deliver the Stage 2 restoration is still on schedule for February 2018.
Lambeth Council’s website currently contains information to a) raise awareness of the current HLF-funded restoration programme for West Norwood Cemetery, and b) advertise community consultation events which are designed to provide feedback on the restoration proposals from local residents and the user community.
An activities programme is also being developed to support volunteering and learning alongside design, digital and interpretation materials, to be managed by an Activities Coordinator. This will provide an opportunity for the public, including local schools and groups, to learn about the rich heritage of the cemetery and those associated with it, including many who are household names today.
Concurrent with any funded restoration programme is a need to have a clearer vision as to extending the working capacity of the cemetery, including the potential reuse of existing graves or burial plots within the site. For large and historically important sites like West Norwood Cemetery, appropriate maintenance of the registered landscape and of the high number of listed and other historic structures will only be achieved through income generated through an ongoing provision for burial services, which may also include reuse of graves or redundant burial space.
This is a complicated subject, because of the many legal, regulatory and emotional issues that come into play, but it is accepted that a practical yet balanced solution is required for West Norwood Cemetery. Rather than delve into detail on this topic in the core of the management plan, a detailed approach to this subject is included in Appendix One, and it is alluded to further in the plan where deemed appropriate in terms of managing the cemetery’s landscape and ecology.
Completion of a heritage restoration programme, coupled with a practical policy on extending its working capacity, should remove the Consistory Court judgement and conditions from West Norwood Cemetery. It will also require an updated and restructured management plan to accommodate these changes in management and use. We will also have a cemetery that continues to provide a place of respect for the dead, as well as a heritage flagship that also provides a home for local wildlife and people to visit in comfort and safety.
23 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 4. West Norwood Cemetery – Vision & Forward Planning
4.1 Drivers for Action and Change
West Norwood Cemetery is a much loved open space, which is clearly benefiting from the outcomes of the Scheme of Management and a different, more proactive approach to its current and future management. In addition, the ongoing application to the HLF and BIG for a Parks for People grant, supplemented with additional match funding from Lambeth Council, will inject significant investment into the cemetery’s core facilities including restoration of its infrastructure, renovation of walls, buildings, monuments and landscapes, better paths, fencing and gates, and provide a more coherent and structured balance between the needs of nature, the bereaved and heritage.
Management and restoration of the cemetery is being driven forward by the West Norwood Scheme of Management Committee (SoMC) which represents site users and other interested parties, as well as council staff. Together they appreciate its rich heritage, cultural and community values plus the need to secure, retain and expand its user base to ensure all of its important facilities are correctly used, and that positive activities take place which provide benefit to all. What has helped the SoMC to secure these objectives are some ‘forces for change’ which recognised the need for action and how this can be achieved.
This chapter, and the following sections, describe some of these forces for change, which not only influence the way West Norwood Cemetery is managed, but also help create opportunities to make improvements and secure the resources or support to achieve them.
Figure 14. Arched opening and forecourt, main entrance, West Norwood Cemetery
24 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 4.2 Lambeth Parks & Greenspaces Strategic Plan
In July 2002 Lambeth Council formally adopted a ‘Lambeth Parks & Greenspaces Strategic Plan’ (LPGSP), following consultation with user groups. This plan has continued to be a key policy in determining how parks and greenspaces are managed, improved and used. It is important to remember that churchyards and cemeteries, such as West Norwood Cemetery, even they have their own individual or unique characteristics, are still ‘public open spaces’ in the eye of most people, offering as they do a place to visit, walk, experience and enjoy, whilst still offering a space for bereavement and burial, and respect for the dead.
At the heart of the plan are ten ‘fundamental principles’ for management, development and use which should apply to each site to ensure they meet and respond to the needs and aspirations of local communities, as well as the council’s corporate vision.
1. Open Spaces for Present and Future Generations
As the representative of the people of Lambeth, the council is the ‘steward’ of their local open spaces and should manage them in the interests of the community, to ensure they are fit to use and capable of accommodating future demands and changing priorities.
2. Open Spaces as Sites of History and Heritage
The council preserves the historic landscapes and rich architectural heritage found within Lambeth’s public open spaces, ensuring it is protected for present and future generations.
3. Open Spaces as Community Assets
Lambeth’s parks and open spaces are an essential and inalienable community resource. As such the council will works in partnership with local people and involve them in decision making relating to use, development and management of their open spaces.
4. Investing in Open Spaces is Investing in the Future
The council recognises that Lambeth’s parks and open spaces require appropriate investment and careful nurturing, and will actively secure resources for their regeneration, in partnership with local people and external agencies.
5. A Right of Access to Open Spaces
Lambeth’s local open spaces are available to all sections of the community, not just residents but also visitors who come to the borough; the council supports and promotes access and use of its open spaces for the benefit of the entire community.
6. A Right to Safety in Open Spaces
All sections of the community have a right to use Lambeth’s public open spaces in safety without fear of crime or harassment; as such the council will work in partnership with residents and agencies to ensure all of its open spaces are healthy, safe and secure.
7. Open Spaces as an Educational, Artistic & Cultural Resource
The council recognises that Lambeth’s public open spaces are a rich resource for learning, not only about the living environment but also the borough’s history and culture. The council encourages the use of open spaces as centres of education as well as places to celebrate cultural and artistic diversity.
25 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 8. Open Spaces for Play, Sport & Recreation
Lambeth’s open spaces are an essential resource in providing space for play, sport and recreation. The council will ensure that these uses are provided for to improve the health, enjoyment and wellbeing of its residents and communities.
9. Open Spaces as ‘Green Places’
The council manages its public open spaces to ensure they are environmentally sustainable. As well as protecting biodiversity, the council will take every opportunity to maximise the use of the earth’s resources by increasing recycling, making use of alternative energy sources and minimising the use of pesticides and other harmful chemicals.
10. Aim High for Quality
The council makes best use of available resources to ensure public open spaces are at or attaining the highest quality possible. The council strives to comply with the objectives of the ‘Green Flag Award’ standard across all of its parks and other public open spaces, and where appropriate make formal applications to recognise this commitment to quality.
Figure 15. West Norwood Cemetery, Mausoleum of Sir Henry Doulton
A key outcome of the Strategic Plan was recognition of the need for parks and public open spaces to have management plans to deliver these principles and ensure efficient use of available resources. As a result many of Lambeth’s parks and other open spaces, including cemeteries and churchyards, now have management plans. This particular plan demonstrates how key principles of the Strategic Plan are incorporated into the ongoing management, development and use of West Norwood Cemetery.
26 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 4.3 Management Plan – Intentions and Objectives
This management plan is intended to help meet a final outstanding condition of the original Consistory Court ruling, namely ‘a plan for the future long-term management of the cemetery's ecology and landscape’. The Scheme of Management (SoM) requires that the plan should ‘seek to enhance and develop the cemetery's unique character in a way that reflects the original spirit behind the conception of the landscape and architecture of the Cemetery, as appropriate.’ In particular it is required ‘to identify:
• All important aspects of the ecology and landscape of the site, both as it stands today and as it was when the cemetery was first created; • Areas of the cemetery that are architecturally, culturally or historically important; • Individual structures and monuments having particular historical, cultural or architectural importance (and whether or not such structures or monuments are listed monuments or buildings); • Existing nature conservation areas and their relationship to the whole cemetery; • Additional areas for special protection or conservation management; • Areas of special educational importance.
The management plan is also required to contain provisions detailing how the cemetery’s future management will:
• Broaden the opportunities for nature conservation; • Encourage ecological diversity, bearing in mind the character of the cemetery; • Enhance areas where ecological diversity does not reflect the cemetery's character; • Minimise the detrimental impact of past management techniques on the environment and the local ecosystem; • Provide a continuing educational resource to all sections of the community, and in particular to schools and other groups of young people; • Protect, and where appropriate enhance, sites of nature conservation, architectural, historical, cultural or educational importance; • Raise public awareness of nature conservation, and of the historical, cultural and architectural importance of the cemetery; • Promote the enjoyment of the cemetery's flora, fauna, landscape and architecture; • Preserve and enhance the original landscaping of the cemetery; • Protect, preserve and enhance buildings, monuments and other structures of importance to the character of the cemetery; • Respect the security and permanence of Christian burial.
The plan is not intended as a full consultation on the future of the cemetery as its framework is set by the original conditions of the Consistory Court judgment. A subsequent Integrated Land Management Strategy (ILMS) in 2002 set out not only the full strategic context and a series of survey and assessment findings, but also a series of proposed works that had the potential to be the subject of a future lottery bid. This particular plan augments that context where appropriate, and updates those works into a summary of management and maintenance actions. In particular, it has sought to widen understanding of the cemetery’s significance through a targeted community consultation exercise.
The plan is intended to provide a vision for the future of the cemetery including an agreed way forward to provide a context for decision-making, a management structure to deliver that future and a series of capital works and maintenance improvements.
27 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 The management vision continues to be developed as restoration takes place and this then has to be maintained. Each aim and its associated objectives do not exist independently from the others but are interrelated and therefore organised in the following action table by way of ease of use. The West Norwood Cemetery Work Programme (Appendix 2) identifies all those involved with the management and maintenance of the site, their roles and interactions.
4.4 Proof of Success - Lambeth Open Spaces Strategy
Lambeth Council, as part of its obligations to provide an ‘evidence base’ to support the development of its planning and development control policies, regularly undertakes assessments of its parks, commons and other open spaces. These assessments then inform and underlie what is known as the ‘Lambeth Open Spaces Strategy’ (OSS), which then in its turn helps formulate key policy and guidance in the Lambeth Local Plan, which is the borough’s current development control document. All local authorities should have an open spaces strategy to manage development of open spaces within their boundaries and protect those which offer space for sport, play, education, heritage and wildlife.
In 2013 West Norwood Cemetery’s was surveyed as part of the development of the 2014 Lambeth OSS, and this assessment showed its overall site quality score was 69% which classed it as ‘Very Good”. What was reassuring, even before the cemetery had started any large-scale restoration, was that many important key categories were rated good or excellent at 60% or above – these are summarised in the table below.
Open Spaces Quality Assessment – West Norwood Cemetery, March 2013
Site Name West Norwood Cemetery Ward Knight’s Hill Access Limited Typology Churchyard/Cemetery Sub-Typology Cemetery Overall Quality Score 69%
Transport 93% Maintenance 80% Accessibility 80% Play Provision N/A Furniture & Fittings 83% Sports Provision N/A Signage 71% Biodiversity 65% Boundary Features 84% Personal Safety 57% Vegetation Quality 86% Vandalism/ASB 100% Paths and Roads 87% Aesthetic Factors 73% Architecture 78%
Key categories, essential to provide a safe, welcoming and stimulating open space, that scored very highly (75% or over) included transport, maintenance, accessibility, furniture and fittings, boundary features, vegetation quality, preventing vandalism/ASB and architecture. However, other important criteria that scored lower than 75% included signage, biodiversity, personal safety and aesthetic factors.
However, that said, no category scored lower that 57% (personal safety) which was well above a ‘Poor’ rating (40% or below), which was reassuring. Nevertheless, effort needs to be put into addressing any categories that are below 75% as part of the current and future site management programme, as even a small increase in the present score values will take the whole site’ score above 70%, which would rate it as ‘Excellent’, which is where a large site with a rich heritage, ecological and cultural offer should be placed. This management plan aims to demonstrate what actions are being taken to maintain any high, and improve any moderate quality scores, so that an ‘Excellent’ overall rating is quickly achieved.
28 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 5. West Norwood Cemetery – Status and Contents
5.1 Current Significance - Historic Landscape Character and Condition
This section summarises the significance of each key area of West Norwood Cemetery, alongside the present condition and management objectives. Appendix Three to the plan sets out how each area needs to be managed in order to either retain current status or address any issues of concern, as well as opportunities for improvement or added value.
Figure 17 is a schematic map of West Norwood Cemetery, showing its main physical features, which is broken down into ‘zones’ to assist with describing different land uses and management regimes.
Zone 1. The Main Entrance
Historic Character
In terms of historic character an important distinction exists between the external railings, arched opening with gates on the pavement front, and the original Tite arched entrance to the east. The present arrangement is recorded on the 1938 Ordnance Survey, and the outer railings, arched opening and gates are of inferior quality to the original railings and gates.
The forecourt contains an important war memorial also a memorial to members of the Lambeth Horticultural Society. The forecourt and the access from West Norwood High Street were refurbished and remodelled in 2013-14 in order to address a poor layout of concrete paviors and highway kerbs that used to exist in this place (Figure 13). Within Tite’s arch and adjacent to the cemetery office in the Lodge, the wide paved area is now in a more appropriate and sympathetic manner than previously. The opening view from the Tite arch to the Gilbart memorial, lined with imposing monuments and mausolea, is a key part of the historic landscape character of the cemetery.
Figure 16. View of the main entrance of West Norwood Cemetery looking east towards Tite Arch and Lodge in background
29 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025
Figure 17. Map of West Norwood Cemetery showing ‘Character Areas’ of site highlighted in colour, with associated key
30 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 On the north side of the Tite arch a prefabricated security hut has been replaced with a more appropriate modern facility; beyond the arch is an area which has been redesigned with new planting, seating and hard landscaping.
The Lodge is an attractive building, although unlisted, and is the third building to occupy this site, dating only from 1950 (Figure 18). Construction of the old West Norwood Library and Nettlefold Hall, which lies outside the curtilage of the cemetery, in 1967 has impinged on the main front of the Lodge. A substantial laurel hedge has tried to lessen this impact but in itself impacts on the Lodge’s setting. The space west of the Tite arch is used for visitor parking along the north side; and staff park outside the Lodge.
Figure 18. The Lodge, West Norwood Cemetery
This zone includes both sides of the road leading up to the junction of Lower Road and Crematorium Road, marked by the Gothic spire of the Gilbart memorial. Other notable memorials in this location include those of Dr Edmund Maddick, Sir Hiram Maxim, Lucy Gallup, Thomas King, Sir Joseph Barnby and John Britton. The Maddick mausoleum is Grade II listed; the Gallup memorial Grade II; the Britton monolith Grade II* and the Gilbart, Everidge, Longsdon and Maxim monuments are all Grade II.
The burial land east of the Lodge was an area of large-scale clearances and as a result is characterised by a mixture of occasional older monuments, a scattering of lawn graves, including one War Graves Commission headstone, cremated remains memorials by the road side and dotted memorial trees. An overthrow to the front entrance forecourt, damaged by construction traffic in May 2009, has gone missing and might be replaced in the future.
Interestingly, the old West Norwood Library and Nettlefold Hall complex, which lies just outside the main gates and abuts onto the cemetery’s western boundary, is in in the process of being completely redeveloped as a new cinema and library, which will have a positive impact upon the landscape character and visual presentation of the cemetery..
31 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 Condition Assessment – Zone 1 The Main Entrance The main entrance from Norwood Road was refurbished and remodelled in 2014 with the external railings, arched opening its gates, hard and soft landscaping all redesigned in a more appropriate manner. The access roads have been reconstructed to a high standard to provide a quality attractive finish. Granite setts are laid around the cemetery office and the entrance thresholds. Special detailing including 45 degree granite sett edging and a resin bonded gravel surface are laid to reduce the visual impact of the roadway. Five new parking bays were added but are tucked away from the important vista into the cemetery.
Extensive new planting was used to improve the entrance courtyard and the setting of the Tite arch, and allows views into the site from West Norwood High Street. A new relocated security kiosk allows improved surveillance, and this area also includes new signage, seating, bins and watering points that are carefully and sensitively designed. Significance - High This is a core area of Tite’s landscape design, characterised by the listed entrance arch and a collection of listed monuments. There is an important designed vista from the arch along the road with its line of monuments, Tite boundary railings, boundary lime trees, and is a key point for arrival of visitors to the cemetery.
Zone 2. St Luke’s Entrance
Historic Character
The St. Luke’s gates retain much of their landscape and architectural quality and are an important part of Tite’s original landscape concept, being the secondary of his three entrance points. The original railings are present and lead on to an area in which a dominance of mature lime and horse chestnut trees evoke the park-like quality of the original Tite plan. Views within this area are dominated by the adjacent St. Luke’s Church and its tower, and the boundary wall to the south is an imposing feature.
The area to the east of the old library was an area of grave clearance in the lawn conversion programme, with insertion of new burials and monuments. As a result it has a scattering of monuments of mixed age in open grassland, but there are a few surviving early monuments, interspersed with memorial trees and gravestones from the 1980s, chiefly along the road edge. The library, just outside the original railings, is prominent in views around this area. Church Road, which runs from the gates to the junction with the main road, is surfaced with concrete paviors and edged with concrete kerbs, which detract from its historic character
Condition Assessment - Zone 2 St Luke’s Entrance The St. Luke’s gates are still imposing but require replacement of missing elements and repairs to corrosion where the iron is fixed into the gate piers. Although some monuments in this area are in good condition, a number of modern memorials have been inadequately fixed when first erected and have fallen down. The grass is mown short in views from the entrance, although a long grass regime is in place south of Church Road. The tree stock includes a large number of memorial trees, sadly of inappropriate species and location. The boundary wall still has areas of ivy growth which will need to be removed. As elsewhere in the cemetery, the litter bins are often inappropriate in design. Significance - High A prominent area of registered landscape, and although compromised by the old Library, the original boundary railings are particularly important. This area also contains a high quality landscape associated with Church Road, mature deciduous trees, original boundary walls and railings and the gates at St. Luke’s entrance. The monuments are of less significance, and this is an area of notable memorial clearance which left a landscape of scattered older monuments and new headstones mainly along the roadside.
32 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025
Figure 19. The main gates at St. Luke’s Entrance, West Norwood Cemetery
Figure 20. St. Luke’s Entrance Area with surviving older monuments scattered over an area of clearance, modern grave additions and tree planting
33 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 Zone 3. Northern Boundary
Historic Character
This zone stretches the entire length of the Robson Road boundary, which comprises a length of original railings at the west and, for most of the eastward section, a substantial brick built wall with stone copings. At the eastern end, earth moving, believed to be associated the construction of the cemetery, resulted in a marked drop from the level of graves to the base of the perimeter wall. The top of this ditch is characterised by a linear planting of mature lime trees, and the wall is supported by steel braces in places, albeit hidden within the ditch.
The burial land incorporates a number of different characters. At the western end there are densely packed memorials which survived clearance, although subject to cramming. Part of the area has been used to dump trimmings from scrub clearance with rutting from vehicles, and although this has been rectified, the rutting is still a feature.
Further east, extensive clearance has left occasional older memorials and one or two modern lawn graves. The eastern end is characterised by a poorly defined area of small memorials in a variety of materials on plots for the burial of cremated remains (Figure 18). As the ground rises towards the east, there are good views west to St. Luke’s church tower and south to the Crematorium and Greek Chapel. Further east is a new Garden of Remembrance, or ‘Rose Garden’, opened in 2008, which is contemporary in style, spaciously laid out and well maintained (Figure 21).
Figure 21. Northern Boundary Area, West Norwood Cemetery
Located in the north east corner of the cemetery is the maintenance depot with accommodation for the site’s grounds maintenance team, but it does sit uncomfortably beside the Memorial Garden, from which it is clearly visible.
34 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025
Figure 22. The Rose Garden (Garden of Remembrance), West Norwood Cemetery
Formal planting of limes parallel to the wall contributes positively to the character and ecological value of this area, and there are a number of mature trees of landscape significance throughout, such as holm oak and yew. Laurels close to the boundary may be part of the early landscape design - the 1870 OS map shows a serpentine belt of shrub planting stretching the length of the northern boundary. Notable memorials in this area include those of Paul Cinquevalli, James Greathead and John Porte.
Condition Assessment - Zone 3 Northern Boundary This area has suffered from beings used the dumping fragments of memorials and memorial benches, as well as heavy vehicles driving onto the sward and compacting or scarring the turf. The depot buildings remain visually intrusive and are in need of attention/improvement.
The piecemeal extension of the cremated remains plots has had an adverse impact on the area’s historic character, occupying land where potential grave space could be reclaimed. Access paths to the area, comprising stepping stones of concrete slabs, are poorly designed, and seating is rather ad hoc as is memorial design and control over tree planting. Whilst important to the bereaved, this area lacks coherence in terms of its design. Significance - High The railing and brick wall boundary to Robson Road is an important part of the cemetery’s surviving historic fabric. At the eastern end is an uncleared collection of monuments, displaying their original density. The area of cremated remains is one of the few active parts of the cemetery in terms of burial, while the Memorial Garden offers a popular option for the bereaved. Mature limes and scattered specimen trees are an important part of the original landscape designs.
35 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 Zone 4. Eastern Boundary Area
Historic Character
This zone extends the length of the cemetery’s boundary with the Park Hall Road Trading Estate, excluding the Garden of Remembrance, but includes the southern boundary with the rear gardens of Durban Road. In terms of historic character, the eastern boundary is the weakest aspect of the cemetery, having been rebuilt in at least three different styles and is dominated by the rear of factories and workshops on the trading estate.
The land slopes eastward from the central ridge across this zone. Poor drainage has resulted in surface water runoff on the St. Mary-at-Hill which may account for a small permanent damp area of grassland containing yellow iris and great hairy willowherb. There is evidence on the ground that original levels have been altered in places by imported material. From the winding St. Mary-at-Hill path there are notable views out of the cemetery including views to Sydenham and Dulwich Wood, and the picturesque spire of St Stephen’s on College Road.
The monuments in this area are a mixture of a few surviving older memorials and scattered lawn graves. This appears to have been an area favoured for public graves and clearance of their memorials has left large areas of open grassland. In the south east corner, on a slight rise which has been entirely cleared of monuments, is a plantation of young trees as well as one large oak tree, which predates the cemetery’s formation.
Figure 23. Eastern Boundary Area, West Norwood Cemetery, looking south across from the depot, with areas of cleared memorials, and new London Plane trees
The boundary of the consecrated and unconsecrated portions of the cemetery divides the area to the north and south. There are more trees in the northern unconsecrated portion, including one oak tree which predates the cemetery, and horse chestnuts dating from the late 19th Century. There are also a number of willows and poplars, taking advantage of the damp conditions, and a number of semi-mature London Planes; the willow and poplar do not contribute to the historic character of the designed landscape, but have ecological value.
36 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 The St. Mary-at-Hill path was narrowed in the 1980s to create additional burial space, and as a result lost its original dimensions and character, becoming impassable to most vehicles. Notable memorials here include Alphonse de Normandy (reinstated 2002); the Grade II listed iron canopy to the grave of Ann Farow (restored 1999); and James Stiff (recently restored).
Figure 24. Eastern Boundary Area, West Norwood Cemetery, looking east from the St. Mary at Hill path, which has been narrowed to create additional burial space.
Condition Assessment - Zone 4 Eastern Boundary Area There has been damage caused by vehicles to the wall of the Greek Enclosure on the north- east corner of Lower Road. At the junction of Lower Road and the road descending from the Crematorium bays for greenwaste and spoil are installed, which while functional are visually intrusive and create a poor impression to the bereaved; informal storage outside the depot also detracts from the site’s landscape quality.
The highway kerbs installed along the narrowed St. Mary-at-Hill path are rather heavy and out of scale, and there have been problems with vehicles driving over the path edges. Recent residential developments at the trading estate’s southern end involved demolition and rebuilding of the boundary wall, but this needs reinstatement. Flooding continues to be a problem on the St. Mary-at-Hill and Doulton Paths; a cross drain on the latter has been proposed as part of the current works, and original drainage via ports in the boundary wall has been lost. Significance - High Although an integral part of the original cemetery design and registered landscape, this area has lost more of its significance than others. Historically dominated by non-conformist and public burials, the boundary fabric and setting has been compromised, and there is evidence that levels have been altered, and clearances have left large areas of open ground with scattered older monuments although there are still a significant number of memorials in unconsecrated ground. The St. Mary-at-Hill path has lost its original dimensions and character, which has reduced its landscape significance.
37 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 Zone 5. Southern Boundary
Historic Character
This area is dominated by the boundary wall and railings, including the piers of the original third entrance from Hubbard Road; these boundaries have been cleared of ivy. Although most of the boundary is brick wall of the same design as Robson Road, a stretch of original cast-iron railings coincides with a row of screen planting shown on the 1870 OS map. These walls are overlooked by the upper storeys of neighbouring houses.
Many parts of this area were subject to selective clearance and it is now characterised by a mixture of scattered lawn graves and older monuments, together with memorial trees and shrubs. Grass is mown but kept long, except for the verge which is a medium cut. The perimeter road gives spectacular views westward past the sundial as it descends, curving round from the site of the Anglican chapel. There are remnants of the mid-nineteenth century planting which was designed to frame these views, such as Yew and Austrian Pine. This area contains three listed memorials (Punshon, Joyce and Moffat) and two other notable monuments to Douglas Jerrold (destroyed 1987 but reinstated 2004) and to Samuel Prout.
Figure 25. Southern Boundary Area, West Norwood Cemetery, with a designed and framed vista to St. Luke’s Church tower, from Steep Hill.
38 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 Condition Assessment - Zone 5 Southern Boundary While conservation of the walls and railings has been done, it has left the boundary and adjacent housing as a dominant feature in an area of relatively weak character in terms of monuments and planting. Substantial deciduous boundary planting has been lost. Open grassland predominates and planting is mixed in significance with a number of inappropriate modern insertions such as weeping willow and dwarf conifers, but also some significant mature trees, e.g. yew, horse chestnut and hawthorn. This is another area where clearance of memorials left open grass with a scattering of headstones. Significance - High The listed boundary wall and railings are particularly prominent, and although this area has lost a good deal of its significant planting and monumentation, it remains a key part of the original design in particular its views. There are significant framed views to St. Luke’s and westwards from Steep Hill as the road descends from the high ground.
Figure 26. Southern Boundary Area, West Norwood Cemetery, with scattered older headstones and later insertions.
Zone 6. Turn of the Century Area
Historic Character
This area was not subject to systematic clearance and has a high number of late 19th and early 20th Century monuments, together with a scattering of later memorials. This area contains two particularly notable monuments to Sir August Manns and John Belcher. The area’s rising ground gives good views south west to St. Luke’s Church, and west to the tombs in the Entrance Area near the Lodge.
39 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025
Figure 27. Turn of the Century Area, West Norwood Cemetery, with uncleared older monuments plus some sensitive later insertions.
There is a notable network of subsidiary footpaths marked by iron bollards, mostly metalled and edged. Although dating from the later 19th Century, the network is important in affording access to an area of historic and landscape significance, and gives distinctive character to the area. Planting is relatively light with notable hollies, ash, holm oak and lime plus the occasional 20th Century specimen conifer. The grassland is managed long which is appropriate for an area in which there are few modern graves requiring access, although the density the old memorials poses its own problems in terms of the demand for restoration work. The monument to Annie Sparenborg is now listed as Grade II.
Figure 28. Turn of the Century Area, West Norwood Cemetery, showing the density of monuments supporting opportunities for nature conservation.
40 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 Condition Assessment - Zone 6 Turn of the Century Area
The minor path network is falling into disrepair and in some places almost disappearing under dense grass and scrub. While long grass is welcome from an ecological perspective, cutting needs to be frequent enough to make clearance of arisings manageable. Uncollected clumps of long grass can turn the sward rank and leave paths looking untidy. Given the level of obstruction, this is a good area for cyclical long grass and wildflower management. Significance - High An area of densely massed quality memorials largely unaffected by clearance; the minor path network, although dating from the end of the 19th Century, is an important feature.
Zone 7. The Bailey Tombs Area
Historic Character
Named after the architecturally significant pair of tombs, now surrounded by secondary woodland, the area rises eastward from open areas on the level with Crematorium Road; its upper western area is dominated by a self-sown clump of woodland.
The clump contains a number of ruinous but imposing monuments, including the Bailey tombs and at least one Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone. This clump is identified as a nature conservation area, although there management is not evident. In terms of character, it has no historic precedent and disrupts the landscape’s smooth flow and its views. The clump is of low ecological interest, comprising self-sown sycamore, elm and ivy. An early grass path, named the Sopwith Path, can be traced from a bollard on Crematorium Road, around the south and east sides of the clump.
Figure 29. Bailey Tombs Area, West Norwood Cemetery, with one of the Bailey tombs in a self-sown woodland clump.
41 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 There has been monument clearance but the area still contains a number of good quality monuments as well as scattered later insertions. The impact of clearance on historic character is mitigated by the topography and mature planting. Below the clump the mown areas contain some notable trees with some landscape value.
The slopes gives some of the best views in the cemetery. At the top of Narrow Road is a short flight of steps leading to the Crematorium, which forms the recommended route for pedestrians visiting it. In 1870 this route is recorded as part of the network of drives, although it is unclear whether its gradient allowed for more than pedestrian use. The steps are of crude concrete slabs out of keeping with the historic character.
Figure 30. Bailey Tombs Area, West Norwood Cemetery, with an early Holm Oak and later Willow in a lower open area.
Condition Assessment - Zone 7 The Bailey Tombs Area Monuments in the clump of self-sown woodland are heavily encroached upon by ivy and sycamore, which is damaging their fabric. Monuments adjacent to the clump are also being damaged as sycamore seeds. Views here pick up on the intrusive visibility of the old library and the lack of suitable screen planting. Significance - High This area is prominent in views of the west-facing slopes from the cemetery entrance, whilst the ecological value of the secondary woodland is not considered to be significant.
42 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 Zone 8. The Non-Conformist Area
Historic Character
This was historically a largely open area with formal roadside tree planting on Lower Road, of which one or two Limes survive. That character has been eroded as scrub and overgrown shrubs developed, although mowing allows limited access through the area.
Figure 31. Non-Conformist Area, West Norwood Cemetery, with encroaching scrub.
The area forms the setting for the Greek Enclosure, although views of the enclosure have been lost to tree and scrub growth. Parts of the early grass paths are overgrown or have been used for burials. A grass path, known as P Path, runs south from a bollard on Lower Road up the slope, although an old gully pot suggests that it may once have been metalled. The line of the path is clear as it runs southward but becomes obscured as it turns west on the slopes. The area also contains the route of the former carriage drive, now known as the Mappin Path, which curved around the southern and south-western side of the Greek Enclosure, subsequently dug up and used for burial space. The area was identified in 2002 for its ancient woodland indicator species and has a notable concentration of hawthorn.
In addition to the character deriving from no systematic clearances, it contains a number of notable individual monuments, including those to Benjamin Collis (Grade II), John Doulton, Arthur Anderson, Katti Lanner and Robert Moffat.
There are a number of notable trees below the cemetery including oak and a multi-stemmed bay on a tomb, and access is through strimmed areas between developing scrub. Mature horse chestnut trees planted along the western and northern boundaries of the Greek Enclosure are, along with additional developing secondary woodland, obscuring it. Modern shrub planting immediately opposite the entrance to the crematorium is blocking views northwards to the City of London.
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Figure 32. Non-Conformist Area, West Norwood Cemetery: grave with surviving original bay planting.
Condition Assessment - Zone 8 The Non-Conformist Area As in other strimmed areas, failure to remove arisings damages the ecological benefit of the herb-rich long-grass regime and creates a poor impression. There are a high number of leaning monuments in need of conservation. The overly mature trees, in particular horse chestnuts, need to be assessed in terms of their condition and safety. Planting and tree growth on the slope between the crematorium and Greek Chapel are obscuring views from the former to the latter. Significance - High This area is significant in its own right as the location of a number of important headstones and monuments; it is also significant as the setting of the Greek Enclosure and the foreground in the long northward views from the crematorium towards the City.
Zone 9. The Greek Enclosure
Historic Character
Bounded by dwarf Portland stone walls and iron railings, the Greek Enclosure is a showpiece within the cemetery, albeit in an inconspicuous corner of the site. It is densely packed with a unique collection of architecturally significant mausolea and tombs dating from 1842. The dominant building is the Doric mortuary chapel, dedicated to St Stephen, also known as the Greek Chapel. The boundary is planted with overgrown laurel hedging, and the grass between monuments is maintained under an agreement with the Greek Trust by the council.
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Figure 33. Greek Enclosure, West Norwood Cemetery, from the east, showing densely packed and high quality memorials and mausolea.
Notable Grade II listed monuments include the mausoleum of Mrs Maria Zambaco (Maria Cassavetti); the Balli Tomb; the Spartali Tomb; the Rodocanachi family tomb; the Vallianos family mausoleum; the Argenti mausoleum; the family tomb of Demetrios Cassavetes; the tomb of Dudley and Giulia Sheridan; the Marogordato family tomb; the temple mausoleum of Eustratio Ralli; the Antonios Ralli of Chios tomb; the A P Ralli and family tomb; the Vlasto tomb; the tomb of T E Schilizzi ; the Michalinos tomb; the John and Virginia Schillizi tomb and the J S Schillizi tomb, formerly known as the Skuaiteh tomb. In addition the Greek area hosts the Ralli mausoleum and the Augustus Ralli Mortuary Chapel, (the Greek Chapel), both of which are Grade II* listed.
The Mortuary Chapel is the most significant historic building in the cemetery, and as well as its contribution to the Greek Enclosure’s character, it is important in views from the south, framed by mature horse chestnuts.
Condition Assessment - Zone 9 The Greek Enclosure The Greek Chapel’s condition was assessed in 2004 and although there is no dramatic decline this needs to be regularly revisited. Paths are in a poor state of repair and a number of monuments have been vandalised or suffer from a lack of maintenance. Although grass is mown, self-sown sycamore is establishing in some of the monuments. Significance - High The boundary walls and railings, the Greek Chapel and many individual mausolea and tombs are listed. The Enclosure is of high significance architecturally and historically, and although not part of the original Tite layout, its architectural quality is a key element in the landscape.
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Figure 34. Greek Enclosure, West Norwood Cemetery, The Greek Chapel from the south, framed by Horse Chestnuts.
Zone 10. Crematorium and Chapel
Historic Character
The Crematorium is a relatively modest, unlisted structure dating from c1955 when the original Dissenters’ Chapel was demolished. Although undistinguished in itself, the Crematorium occupies a key location in the designed landscape, commanding wide views northwards from the northern point of the ridge which dominates the cemetery. The horizon includes St. Paul’s and the towers of the City, while the foreground includes the south façade of the Greek Chapel. Views to the Crematorium from the entrance and the west have dwindled with tree growth, although both chapels had been dominant in past views. Glimpses of the chimney however do serve to emphasise the dramatic site topography.
Because it was erected on the site of the earlier chapel, there are some notable memorials close to the Crematorium and now stand within the dwarf wall that forms its curtilage. This location attracted a number of notable monuments, notably those to William Higgs; Charles Pearson; Charles Spurgeon (Grade II); the Grade II* listed mausoleum of Sir Henry Tate; the headstone of David Roberts, restored in 1996 and the chest tomb of Elhanan Bicknell.
The soft landscape is well maintained but characterised by 1960s and later planting, including specimen cypress and silver birch, hawthorn and cherry, but also lime trees, while a notable 9th Century yew survives on the south lawn near Cloister Garden.
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Figure 35. The Crematorium, West Norwood Cemetery. The setting is predominantly 1960s and later but with the presence of mature yews and limes.
Figure 36. Crematorium and Chapel Area, West Norwood Cemetery, with views across the cemetery toward St. Paul’s and the skyline of the City of London.
47 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 Condition Assessment - Zone 10 Crematorium and Chapel Although the Crematorium tower is visible from some locations within the cemetery, views outwards from ground level are restricted by vegetation growth. The soft landscape around the Crematorium, while well-maintained, is not in keeping with the original Tite design; the dwarf wall shows some signs of vehicle damage and the road surface needs repair. New cremator equipment resulted in installation of an above-ground heat exchanger located adjacent to the south wall, which detracts from the building’s setting. Shrubs planted opposite the entrance obscure the views northward from the terrace outside the Crematorium. Significance - High Despite the low architectural and historic significance of the actual Crematorium, its situation, views and the monuments around it are of great importance in the historic landscape. It is also the focus of most visits to the Cemetery and the location of most visitors’ principal experience of the cemetery as a service.
Zone 11. The Catacombs
Historic Character
The loss of the towering Anglican Chapel, the centrepiece of Tite’s original design, from the skyline changed the landscape’s historic character significantly. The footprint of the Chapel, demolished in 1960, is now occupied by a memorial rose garden, constructed shortly afterwards. Since 2002 this has been closed, cleared of roses and soil, and replaced by the new Memorial Garden in the north-east of the cemetery. The Catacombs created below the Anglican Chapel survived the chapel’s demolition in 1960 and are listed Grade II. The listing includes a rare surviving hydraulic lift which brought coffins down from the catafalque in the chapel interior, as well as iron gates and dressed stone surrounds of the vaults themselves.
Figure 37. The Catacombs, West Norwood Cemetery. The site of the original Anglican Chapel is still marked by a number of good quality memorials.
48 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 The 1960s rose garden was built at a higher level than the roadway and is characterised by dwarf brick walls, brick piers and steps up to its entrance through a wrought iron gate. The garden includes a bitumen wearing course to protect the catacombs but this has begun to fail and the whole structure is covered by a temporary roof structure to protect the Catacombs. There are a number of prestigious monuments immediately west of the Catacombs on what would have been an open lawn in front of the Chapel, now overgrown with scrub woodland. At the west end is the monument to Dr William Marsden (Grade II), while Catacomb A below ground contains the remains of the Cemetery’s designer, Sir William Tite.
Condition Assessment - Zone 11 The Catacombs As with the Crematorium, the original extensive views are obscured both east and west by self-sown scrub woodland. An options appraisal for the future of the Catacombs was prepared in 2004 by Anthony Caroe and Partners but was not taken forward and so emergency roofing has remained in place. Significance - High The Catacombs are Grade II listed and despite the loss of the Anglican Chapel and planned removal of the 1960s Rose Garden, the site is a key element in the designed landscape and its circulation system; there is no significant planting within this zone.
Zone 12. The Doulton Path Area
Historic Character
Named after the mausoleum to Sir Henry Doulton which is located close to the path’s junction with Crematorium Road (Figure 35), this area includes all the land sloping down eastwards from the Catacombs to the St. Mary at Hill path. Historically, this east-facing slope was open grassland; the Doulton Path, which runs roughly north-south across the slope between the Catacombs and St Mary at Hill path, was established early in the cemetery’s development, is not surprising given its fine aspect to the east and its proximity to the prestigious Chapel.
Figure 38. The Doulton Mausoleum, West Norwood Cemetery.
49 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 The Doulton Path itself is kept clear, and along it is a fine collection of monuments. The slopes above and below are largely an impenetrable mass of self-sown trees, brambles, ivy, nettles and other scrub, which significantly erodes the area’s historic character, and obscure a significant number of monuments which are inaccessible for inspection.
This area contains a number of especially notable monuments such as the Grade II monument to Thomas Cubitt with its original holly hedge; that to William Wyon; the Grade II monument to Thomas Letts; the Grade II* slab and chest monument of William Burges; the recently restored George Jennings monument; the Alexander Muirhead monument; the Thomas Bristowe monument; the Grade II terracotta mausoleum of Sir Henry Doulton, recently restored; and the Grade II listed monument to Sir William Cubitt, recently restored. Especially near paths and roads, a small number of modern memorials are present.
East of the Doulton Path is the St Mary at Hill plot, where grounds maintenance is the responsibility of the Vestry of the Parish of St Mary at Hill, City of London. Although with no surviving boundary structures, it is characterised by remnants of distinctive planting, most notable of which are Araucaria or monkey puzzles, complemented by rhododendron, euonymus and other ornamental shrubs. The area is overgrown with scrub, and is almost impenetrable with its ornamental planting swamped by secondary growth. In recent years part of the St Mary at Hill land has been used for interments.
Figure 39. Doulton Path Area, West Norwood Cemetery, with path lined with fine monuments but with secondary woodland encroachment.
South of the Catacombs on the corner of the St Mary at Hill path, a layby has been built off the road permanently occupied by two large visually intrusive skips, a significant detractor from the landscape character. The narrowing of the St Mary at Hill path resulted in vehicle damage to verges, despite the installation of concrete highway kerbs.
50 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 Self-sown woodland is particularly dense in this area, causing damage to memorials, obstructing views and degrading the visual landscape quality. The St Mary at Hill plot appears to be receiving no grounds maintenance whatsoever, and the council is currently investigating the nature of the historic agreement with the parish as to management.
Condition Assessment - Zone 12 The Doulton Path Area The condition of monuments in overgrown areas is a matter of concern and maintenance, except for the path itself, is suspended due to the dangerous working conditions created by scrub and collapsed vaults. Deterioration of monuments is now accelerating and a substantial area of the cemetery is being lost to public access. Significance - High A key part of the Cemetery’s historic design, it represents a substantial area of historic landscape design and monumentation which is at significant risk. Assessment of memorials hidden in the secondary woodland is difficult but the area close to the principal Chapel, contains architecturally significant structures; the woodland has little wildlife significance.
Zone 13. Ship Path
Historic Character
This zone stretches from the roadway immediately outside the Anglican Chapel site down to level ground west and the foot of Steep Hill; it contains two distinct landscape types - the self-sown woodland on the ridge and its western slope, and open mown ground on the more level ground below.
Figure 40. Ship Path Area, West Norwood Cemetery, with designed view towards St. Luke’s from the lower part of Ship Path.
51 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 Ship Path is named after the monument to Captain John Wimble, whose monument includes a model of the hull of a merchant ship. Ship Path runs perpendicularly north-west from the central point of the Anglican Chapel before curving westward to join Steep Hill. The Path was established early in the cemetery’s history. An early illustration suggests Ship Path was originally gravelled, which would have enhanced its garden-like character and prestige. It commands magnificent views north and west, although these are much narrowed by tree growth. Some thirty metres north-west of the Chapel site, it crosses another path, known as the Beeton Path, in honour of the tomb of the writer, Mrs Beeton.
Beeton Path is the remnant of a road which was part of the original carriage drive network laid out by Tite, and dug up to create additional grave space in the early 20th Century. It follows the terrace of the former drive along the north-south contour of the ridge above the row of pre-cemetery hedgerow oaks and would have afforded a series of designed views westwards. It is lined with fine monuments including the Berens mausoleum (Grade II*) and the more modest Tredwell tomb, which retains its original individual planting of four Yews.
Figure 41. Ship Path Area, West Norwood Cemetery, showing Beeton Path along the old carriage drive, with views westward between old pre-cemetery oaks.
As Ship Path descends the gradient lessens and areas north of the path are mown allowing fine views west and north-west framed by specimen trees including three notable deodar cedars towards St Luke’s Church and beyond. The path is lined with notable monuments, and the zone’s northern boundary is formed by Crematorium Road. This is marked as it climbs the ridge by a row of three fine London Planes, as well as other notable trees.
Although there is adequate grass mowing around Steep Hill displaying a number of specimen trees most of the slope has developed as secondary woodland, which contains some notable planted trees like a possible Oriental Plane tree. As with Zone 12, maintenance has been withdrawn from sloping land on health and safety grounds.
52 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025
The slope commanded excellent views and was laid out immediately below the Chapel and thus visible from the entrance and approaches, so the area contains a high number of notable memorials. Apart from the Berens mausoleum, these include the Grade II chest tomb of Thomas de la Garde Grissell; the modest memorial of Mrs Beeton; a new headstone over the grave of William Simms; the memorial to George Dolland; the Roupell family vault, with its original planting of Yews; and the Felix Slade monument.
West of these are the Grade II* listed memorial of Dr Gideon Mantell and the new monument to Richard Brunton; the restored monument to Charles Alcock; the Grade II headstone of Sir Henry Bessemer; the remains of the grave of David Cox; the recently restored monument to Charles Bravo; the Grade II Pond family mausoleum; the chest tomb of William Peek; the Grade II tomb of Sir Horace Jones, and the recently repaired John Appold monument. The Ship monument itself is listed Grade II.
Condition Assessment - Zone 13 Ship Path This area has seen recent scrub-clearance work, not all maintained, which accounts for the temporary fencing. However, this creates unnatural barriers and has allowed growth on the other side of the fence to flourish unchecked. Away from the paths, the area remains largely impenetrable due to scrub and tree growth, and contains a large number of monuments within the woodland, and vegetation is damaging them. The lower mown areas are adequately maintained. Significance - High A prominent slope which forms the backdrop to views around the lower part of the Cemetery. It attracted some prestigious monuments, many now listed, and included key elements of the ornamental layout and circulation. Many of the best specimen trees are located here as well as the majority of the pre-Cemetery trees, which have the highest ecological significance among the Cemetery’s tree-stock.
5.2 Additional Features and Assets
This section is an overview of the main features in West Norwood Cemetery, such as furniture and items across or within each zone, which have not been described already. It is not exhaustive but summarises those important to cemetery users or the site’s heritage, ecological and social character in terms of ensuring integrity, security and accessibility.
5.2.1 Railings, Walls, Entrances and Gates
Approximately 50% of the cemetery is bounded by impressive stretches of cast iron railings, painted brown, often on a dwarf wall. The most impressive sections include about half of the length along Robson Road, the western boundary along Norwood Road and Norwood High Street, and much of the southern boundary with Hubbard Road and the Mount Pleasant Estate. Other sections of the cemetery’s boundary consist of substantial brick-built walls with stone copings, with a particularly impressive section along the eastern half of Robson Road.
There are two extant entrances into West Norwood Cemetery, the main (and operational) one on Norwood Road and the St. Luke’s entrance further south on Norwood High Street, although this one is normally kept closed (Figure 42). The main entrance consists of a pair of large vehicle gates, and a smaller single pedestrian gate; all gates are painted in brown identical to the railings. A third entrance from Hubbard Road once existed on the southern boundary, but all that remains are the original gate piers within the existing wall.
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Figure 42. Boundary railings at St. Luke’s Entrance, West Norwood Cemetery.
5.2.2 Grassland, Lawns and Formal Planting
Large areas of the cemetery are maintained as ‘amenity grassland’, where the grass is cut to give a low to medium sward of uniform height. Most of the amenity grassland is found around the main entrance, boundaries and the edges of main paths. A ‘lawn’ effect, where the grass is cut relatively low, is particularly evident around the main entrance, as well the Crematorium within the boundary dwarf wall, and around and within the Memorial Garden.
Formal planting is restricted to the cemetery’s main entrance, the Memorial Garden and around the Crematorium, and consists of roses (especially in the Memorial Garden) as well as herbaceous, ornamental and exotic species in specific beds or planters. Formal planting also occurs on many of the graves across large sections of the cemetery, but this has been undertaken by bereaved families or grave owners.
5.2.3 Trees and Hedges
West Norwood Cemetery contains an extensive network of trees of various ages, heights, form and origins, some of which are old enough to date back to before when the cemetery was first laid out and opened for business, or were part of the original landscape planting scheme designed and commissioned. Some trees are natives such as oak, ash and field maple, but others are exotics or non-natives.
A survey undertaken in 2000 by Land Use Consultants recorded a total of 906 trees in the cemetery with 64 different species. The subsequent study surveyed 104 of these trees and concluded that the oldest oaks are remnants of the mediaeval field boundary that used to exist on site from before the cemetery was created, and are shown on an 1836 deed plan. At least 17 trees, mainly oaks, but including an ash and field Maple, appeared to pre-date the cemetery’s construction, and could date as far back as 1700.
54 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 This study also investigated other notable ornamental trees in the cemetery, which were planted either as part of William Tite’s largely deciduous planting scheme (e.g. lime) or planted subsequently (e.g. holm oak, horse chestnut and Austrian pine). The St. Mary on the Hill enclosure (Zone 12) has a distinctive planting of exotics species such as Monkey Puzzle, Rhododendron and Euonymus, while significant planting is also associated with individual tombs (e.g. bay and yew).
There are some areas of formal hedges, such as around particular tombs or monuments, mainly bay, yew or box, as well as laurel hedges around the side of the Lodge or sides of the Greek Enclosure. Most hedges in the cemetery are in need of review and attention, and there are opportunities to create better or more natural hedges in certain zones, especially in areas managed for ecology or to help isolate the public from unsafe structures or areas.
5.2.4 Nature Conservation Features
West Norwood Cemetery is a Borough Grade Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (Code SINC21) which was assessed by the Greater London Authority (GLA) in 2007 and its status re-confirmed in 2008. It is described in the London Ecology Unit’s (LEU) Nature Conservation in Lambeth report (1994), which draws attention to a mix of ornamental species and older ancient oaks, the shrub layer of native species and floriferous quality of the grassland. The GLA survey described both habitats and species, and noted the dominant habitat was herb-rich neutral grassland grading into areas of taller grassland and scrub.
The damp area on the eastern boundary and ivy on the walls and monuments are mentioned. The damp area on the eastern boundary contains some common wetland plant species such as great hairy willowherb and yellow flag iris, and whilst this area adds to the ecological value of the cemetery, it is not of significant biodiversity value.
Figure 43. Eastern Boundary Area, West Norwood Cemetery, with damp-loving native plant species.
55 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 Lower plants, principally lichens, are often an important element in cemeteries and churchyards, but they are not mentioned in the LEU citation, and the cemetery doesn’t appear to have an exceptionally rich diversity of lichen species. A key characteristic of the site’s nature conservation value is the line of mature oaks on the higher ground, and these support a range of higher plants indicative of ancient woodland; woodland indicator species are also found in open grassland without tree cover.
5.2.5 Toilets, Seating and Bins
West Norwood Cemetery doesn’t contains any specific building housing public toilets; toilets are located in the Lodge and Crematorium, but they are not advertised as being for general public use, and use is restricted to staff or those participating in funeral services.
The cemetery contains a mixture of different styles of benches or seating of various ages and materials, with the main one being wooden back-slatted benches. Many benches have memorial plaques or inscriptions on them. There is an urgent need to rationalise bench style across the entire cemetery, and remove any older items that are damaged or unusable with new versions consistent with that agreed style.
Figure 44. Main Entrance Area at West Norwood Cemetery, looking east into the grounds with wooden seating arranged along the main road.
There is also a considerable diversity in the design and construction of litter and waste bins throughout the cemetery, and again this needs to be rationalised down to a consistent style more in keeping with the site’s heritage character. Many of the older bins are of metal construction or are in the form of mesh cages where litter can be deposited. However, as part of recent improvements to the main entrance area (Zone 1) new bins with a wooden vertical ‘slatted’ construction over a metal body, have been installed and are much more attractive and subtle, as well as being easy to maintain and empty.
56 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 6. Management and Conservation Strategy
6.1 Management Objectives
A site as large and complex at West Norwood Cemetery requires an over-arching vision of how it should be viewed as it is today, but equally what it should be like in the near and distant future. This is to help give those who are responsible for it, and who visit and care about it, a sense of direction and purpose that informs and supports the actions they take and prevents drift or contradiction.
Figure 45. West Norwood Cemetery, St. Luke’s Entrance Area, looking west, with St. Luke’s Church in background.
The following section summarises the vision, developed by the SoMC with input from various stakeholders, as to how West Norwood cemetery needs to be managed and improved, so that it continues to be a place of bereavement and remembrance, but also a heritage and ecological flagship. The remainder of the management plan describes how this vision can be realised through practical actions, including those set out in Appendix Two as management actions and timescales.
6.2 Management and Conservation Vision
In aiming to achieve a long and sustainable future for the cemetery and to provide a flexible, sensitive and caring burial and cremation service for all, the council will seek to reconcile its continued use for burials and cremations with the conservation of its landscape, buildings, monuments and ecology.
57 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 A cemetery in good health is a dynamic place. If it has been in use for over a hundred and fifty years, it will embody the burial and memorialisation practices of successive generations. It will tell a range of stories about those cultural practices, as illustrated either in different areas, or even in juxtapositions on a grave by grave level. Even neglected scrub woodland, with its melancholy ruined memorials, tells a story about the late twentieth century.
It is this current generation however, which has recognised the historic interest of Victorian cemeteries and elevated the value of the Victorian cemetery landscape above those of the continuous generations since. At West Norwood Cemetery, as in most Victorian cemeteries, there has been a long practice of overlays and insertions by which no one particular area represents a single chronological period of interment and memorialisation activity, even if one period is dominant.
However, those juxtapositions and insertions are an integral part of a well-functioning Cemetery. There is a demand from the community for the right to be buried at West Norwood Cemetery, but because of the quality of this landscape, new burials and memorials have to be managed to conserve and in some places repair that quality. In addition, older memorials and structures, especially those of historic or architectural interest, must be conserved for which a revenue stream is required.
This plan must support the council in fulfilling this vision, and depends not only on providing burial space and a range of options for burial, cremation and memorialisation, but also ensuring that the historic, educational and wildlife value of the cemetery is preserved and enhanced, and operations and conservation work to mutual advantage for the benefit of all.
6.3 Management and Conservation Policies
These policies are designed to develop and maintain West Norwood Cemetery in the light of the issues explored in earlier chapters, and to respond to future challenges.
A. General Policies
1. Any proposals to develop or alter the landscape or buildings should accord with government guidance on the historic environment, and with local authority guidance for the area.
Reason: West Norwood Cemetery is a Grade II* registered site on the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England. It is also within a Conservation Area and includes 95 grade II and II* listed buildings. Buildings or structures within the cemetery’s curtilage are generally included with the principal listed building for listing purposes and have the same grade value. The Cemetery is also a Borough Site of Importance for Nature Conservation in the Lambeth Local Plan 2015.
As owner, the council has an obligation to ensure the cemetery’s landscape, historic and architectural and ecological interest is preserved and maintained, and preferably enhanced. Listed building and Conservation Area consent are required for proposals which affect the historic and architectural character of the buildings; planning permission is required for any proposals which affect the character of the registered landscape. All proposals should be informed by an understanding of the area affected and an explanation of that understanding is a key part of any application.
58 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 2. Works shall be carried out to conservation standards as appropriate for listed buildings and registered parks and gardens. A coordinated and planned approach will be taken to all repairs and maintenance.
Reason: the special interest of the cemetery’s buildings and landscape derive not just from their overall appearance but the quality of materials, their detailing and the historic character of the designs. Conserving that interest and character depends on the skill and judgement of professional advisors and craftsmen in carrying out repairs and maintenance. An understanding of the relationship of individual structures to each other and the designed landscape, in particular the siting of trees, is also critical.
3. It is essential that clearance of vegetation and repair of monuments is systematic and coordinated, and followed up by enhanced levels of maintenance.
Reason: the council recognises that in the past vegetation clearance has not been supported by subsequent maintenance of cleared areas, and clearance of vegetation will reveal currently hidden monuments that may require remedial works. The two programmes must be coordinated in order that revealed monuments are assessed and, if necessary, repaired. It is accepted that within five years, additional grounds maintenance resources will be required to maintain and manage newly cleared areas.
Figure 46. West Norwood Cemetery, showing excessive vegetation growth around existing monuments, which will be removed and managed.
59 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 B. Landscape Policies
4. Site management will seek opportunities to enhance ecological benefits in harmony with the overarching vision for the whole site.
Reason: the cemetery has significant ecological value and even greater potential in a borough-wide context. There is little conflict between assessment of the site’s existing ecological interest and the aim of conserving its historic interest, especially given the low value of secondary woodland scrub. Key benefits of the site reside in a mosaic of habitats, including the monuments themselves, mature trees and open grassland. There isn’t a deficiency in woodland habitat in the local area; the site’s secondary woodland, which developed as a result of past neglect, offers little in the way of significant habitat or ecology, comprising as it does in self-sown immature sycamore, ivy and bramble. The benefits of open grassland, where appropriately managed, outweigh those of secondary woodland.
Opportunities exist to enhance grassland management to maximise its habitat value, and built into maintenance regimes. The nature conservation value of the grassland depends on maintenance, in particular timing of cuts and removal of arisings. A programme of differing mowing regimes will be agreed with the council’s ecologist, creating a balance between nature conservation benefit and operational or user needs. The plan should develop further areas of species-rich meadow grassland in addition to short cut grassland. These areas of long grass can be relocated around the site on a cyclical basis of every one to three years.
5. Site management will aim to preserve or enhance the special character of the cemetery’s historic landscape, and balance them with operational needs. Any proposals for change are based on a full understanding of the landscape character of each area in question and the decision-making process recorded with reference to assessing the impact on that character.
Reason: in order to prevent ad hoc decisions which cumulatively have a negative impact on the cemetery’s historic character or appearance. In particular, this policy aims to prevent a gradual erosion of quality through permitted development.
6. The cemetery’s tree stock will be subject to an updated condition survey and tree management programme produced as part of this plan. Tree removals and planting will in principle aim to re-establish the original planting structure and mix as recorded on the Ordnance Survey maps of 1870.
Reason: the last systematic survey of the site’s arboricultural condition was in 2002, and that is now outdated. It is critical a programme of appropriate new planting is established to safeguard the cemetery’s historic character and appearance. It is equally critical that as part of this plan a systematic annual inspection and programme of works is in place, rather than a reactive approach. The 1870 Ordnance Survey offers the best general guide to the historic design, its general configuration, and mix of deciduous and coniferous planting.
7. Secondary woodland will be gradually cleared over the life of this plan in a programme of regular works, comprising specialist arboricultural services and grounds maintenance. Cleared areas will be restored and maintained as grassland, the ecological quality of which will be enhanced through appropriate conservation management.
Reason: the spread of self-sown scrub and trees damages not only the landscape character but also the monuments which are being lost within it. There are key areas of the cemetery in which no management or maintenance is taking place, and this is an unsustainable approach to a historic landscape and its historic structures – and a waste of potential burial space.
60 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 C. Monuments
8. Listed monuments in the cemetery will be subject to a systematic ten-year programme of inspection and repair. Repairs will be carried out to conservation standards as advised by Historic England and Lambeth’s Urban Planning and Conservation Team, and as specified by an Advisory Committee on which both organisations will be represented.
Reason: to meet the council’s legal obligations to preserve and enhance the cemetery’s stock of listed structures and buildings.
Figure 47. West Norwood Cemetery, showing the diversity of monuments and vegetation heights, Doulton Path Area.
9. Over the life of this plan all monuments of historic, architectural or landscape significance will be repaired. Repairs will be carried out to conservation standards as advised by Historic England and Lambeth Council Officer and as specified an Advisory Committee (see Policy 10).
Reason: while the listed monuments and mausolea are structures of national significance, many more of the Cemetery’s monuments have significance in a local context or contribute significantly to the character of the registered landscape.
10. The Council recognizes the need for ongoing specialist advice on the programming, specification and approval of monument conservation throughout the life of this plan. To this end it will establish and support a suitably qualified Monuments Advisory Committee (MAC) to support the project officer and the Management Plan Review Board.
Reason: through the life of the plan there is an ongoing need to oversee the programme of monument repair and conservation.
61 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 In addition, there is a need to assess any monuments affected by reclamation or reuse of grave space. Such monuments will be assessed on an individual, case-by-case basis, and grade monuments according to their surviving architectural and historic interest, ecological interest, location and condition. The MAC will be required to advise on the design and materials of any new monuments and assist in preparation of guidance for the bereaved on monument design. There needs to be accommodation for a range of memorials if choice for the bereaved is enhanced, but the range of designs and materials across the whole cemetery must be controlled in terms of height, design, materials, finishes and location.
D. Buildings
11. The long-term future of key buildings, in particular the Lodge, Greek Chapel and Catacombs, will be secured on the basis of preserving their historic, architectural and landscape interest while at the same time seeking to maximize the public benefit.
Reason: new uses are required to ensure a sustainable future for the catacombs and Greek Chapel. Given the level of council investment in the cemetery, as well as its place in national and local regard, the best solution is one that offers a high level of public access. The Lodge, whilst not a listed structure, is a key site for creating a welcome to visitors and could combine its current role as a reception for the bereaved with information, orientation, toilets and other suitable visitor facilities.
E. Education and Access
12. During the longer term of this plan the council will seek to maximize the site’s educational potential through appointment of an activities coordinator and the preparation and implementation of an interpretation plan. In the short term it will work to support the educational and interpretative work of the Friends of West Norwood Cemetery and other relevant educational providers.
Figure 48. Pupils in West Norwood Cemetery, investigating a grave inscription.
62 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 Reason: West Norwood Cemetery is first and foremost a place for the bereaved, and development of its educational potential takes place within that framework. Nevertheless, as identified in this plan, the cemetery has significant potential as an educational venue for all ages, as well as a venue for training activities.
The appointment of a dedicated Activities Coordinator, as part of the Stage 2 HLF-funded restoration phase, will be key to unlocking that potential, developing links with local schools, colleges and other education providers, and devising a programme of education and interpretation development, as well as volunteering and events within the cemetery.
F. Reclamation and Reuse of Graves
13. In order to bring the cemetery back into use as a service to the bereaved, the council will explore the potential to reuse grave space in such a way that does not compromise the cemetery’s historic character. To this end it will complete the digitization of the cemetery records in a format that allows the best possible identification of grave space. In the medium term, it will seek to introduce an appropriate and sensitive programme of grave reuse.
Reason: to secure the long-term viability of the historic landscape and provide an appropriate service to the Borough. The council acknowledges that policy support for reuse has been expressed by the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM) and Diocesan Advisory Committee, and will integrate their specific guidance into its own approach to reuse.
G. Management and Implementation
14. As part of the delivery structure for this management plan, a Management Plan Review Board will be appointed. Its composition should be agreed by the Consistory Court as part of their review of the Scheme of Management. The Board will meet regularly to agree an annual work programme, review progress and sign off each year’s work against milestones set out in the plan.
Reason: to ensure that this management plan is implemented in such a way as to fulfil the aspirations of the Consistory Court’s Scheme of Management.
15. A sustainable future for the cemetery depends on recognition of its value to all stakeholders. To this end the council will seek to widen awareness of the cemetery and encourage wider participation in debate about its future.
Reason: West Norwood Cemetery is a much loved local place, but reduction in burial services has led to a widespread perception it is closed or at the very least restricted in terms of access. Through implementation of this plan, and also through complementary community development and capacity building, the council will rebuild a sense of community ownership in the site.
H. Recording and Information
16. A systematic record on implementation of the management plan needs to be built up and archived in an accessible fashion. This includes all relevant documentation including Board and Committee minutes, specifications, designs and drawings, and a photographic record of progress.
Reason: clear records of all significant works carried out as part of the plan need to be maintained; preservation by record will mitigate the loss of historic fabric.
63 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 I. Green Flag Award
17. The council will enter the cemetery for a Green Flag Award within the first five years of the management plan.
Reason: Green Flags are awarded in recognition of good management of public open spaces, including parks, gardens and cemeteries. Preparing for Green Flag would encourage partnership between various council services and help drive up maintenance standards and encourage greater community involvement and development.
It is a condition of any successful Stage 2 HLF grant that a beneficiary site must apply for and secure a Green Flag Award for at least five years after the completion of the restoration works. Therefore, the aim will be to ensure that West Norwood Cemetery not only secures and continues to fly a Green Flag during the lifetime of this plan but will always fly a flag in each and every successive year thereafter. It is also the intention to apply for a Green Flag Heritage Award for the cemetery within five years of first securing its first Green Flag.
J. A Charter for the Bereaved
18. The council will aim to become a signatory to the ICCM Charter for the Bereaved within the first five years of the management plan.
Reason: the Charter is designed to commit signatories to minimum standards of service for the bereaved. It ensures the cemetery becomes a model of best practice in terms of information and support, facilities and the quality of service.
Figure 49. View of monuments and graves in West Norwood Cemetery.
64 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 7. West Norwood Cemetery is a Welcoming Place
7.1 Objectives
To be a welcoming place, West Norwood Cemetery:
7.1.1 Is maintained to create a welcoming effect in keeping with its surroundings which respects its natural, heritage and community character. 7.1.2 Is managed to ensure it remains accessible to all sectors of the community. 7.1.3 Benefits from signage, leaflets and publicity of a coherent consistent design which contains up to date, relevant information.
7.2 Management Objectives
The first time visitor to West Norwood Cemetery should be impressed by how welcoming and attractive it is, and for regular visitors the impression should be it remains as such and there is no measurable deterioration in quality. Features of particular importance include good and safe access, pedestrians taking priority over vehicles (including cycles), effective signage to and within the site, and something for everyone.
7.3 Accessibility
The sole main entrance, off Norwood Road on its western side, is open during daylight hours, as are all internal designated paths; the gates at the St Luke’s entrance are currently kept locked for security reasons, but it offers potential to allow for a separate exit from the Cemetery should there be an increase in site traffic or the movement of people. Entrances and paths will be kept open and sightlines maintained to ensure people coming in feel safe. Where gates or paths are narrow surrounding vegetation will be kept low or back to improve views and remove any sensations of being ‘closed in’.
The cemetery falls within provisions of the Disability and Discrimination Act (DDA 1995) and it must take reasonable steps to remove, alter or avoid barriers to equal access. An annual access audit should be carried out to ensure such barriers are addressed. Although access within the cemetery on designated main roads or paths is acceptable there are issues with some narrower or poorly used paths where routes around obstructions are not always good.
The cemetery is used by drivers, walkers and cyclists given its proximity to main roads and its principal uses, and although cars are permitted inside the site, they must respect other users and take care with speeds and parking – where possible people, are encouraged not to bring cars or park them at the main entrance. There are no designated cycling routes within the cemetery, and any proposals to consider this will need detailed consultation.
As part of the HLF-funded restoration programme options are being considered for providing a second access point into the cemetery on its eastern or southern sides, either from Vale Street or Hubbard Road, respectively. This will have implications in terms of how access is managed, as well as creating or restoring an original gate and how it will be maintained and monitored, but it would have significant benefits in terms of through-flow of visitors and local residents. Should consultation and advice from heritage/planning advisors show this option is positively received, it will be factored into the Stage 2 restoration programme and its outcomes in terms of use and popularity reported in future versions of the plan.
65 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 7.4 A Visible Presence
West Norwood Cemetery is manned by staff from the council, which provides reassurance. Staff have a strong devotion to the cemetery, creating a strong sense of ownership, excellent site knowledge and a familiar public face. Staff are also uniformed so they are identifiable and carry identification as required.
7.5 Buildings
The cemetery contains buildings which attract users for various reasons, including bereavement purposes, and act as focal points to welcome both them and first-time visitors, especially through signage, landscaping or planting, and well-maintained paths and gates to provide easy access. Key facilities are the Lodge at the main entrance, security kiosk and the Crematorium. These should be managed to make the cemetery feel welcoming and reassuring, and so actions to keep them and their surrounds safe, clean and presentable, and address any issues acting as access barriers, should be routinely addressed.
7.6 Signage
7.6.1 Entrance Signage
A large metal name sign is situated next to the cemetery’s main entrance, at the corner of Norwood and Robson Roads; there is potential to upgrade or add additional signage, for example as part of any future funded restoration programme (Figure 50).
7.6.2 Directional Signage
Signage within West Norwood Cemetery was traditionally rather mixed in terms of materials and design. However, the quality of new road signs, recently commissioned through the SoMC, is high but such signage is incomplete and having all roads and paths clearly signposted should be priority for further action.
One issue that needs to be addressed is whether the cemetery requires directional ‘fingerpost’ style signs, affixed to lampposts or other furniture, on streets surrounding or leading to it, such as from West Norwood train station or the busier sections of Norwood Road. This would help fist-time visitors find the quickest and safest routes to the cemetery, and would have the site’s name on either side in distinct and legible colours and type.
7.6.3 Information Signage
To help visitors orientate themselves on arriving at West Norwood Cemetery and to gather important information (e.g. closing times) a new information sign, with an informative map and other details, has been installed next to the Lodge building. This is supplemented by additional notice boards on the Lodge itself. There is considerable potential for similar information signs to be erected in other parts of the cemetery, as and when demand for them exists and as resources permit.
Other information signage is present at the entrance of the Remembrance Garden and outside the Crematorium, but there is no doubt West Norwood Cemetery contains numerous features which need interpreting. Providing such signage across the entire cemetery is a key priority for any forthcoming major restoration programme. If smaller sums become available for additional one-off information signs in the meantime, then these can be commissioned and installed, but they should follow a strict ‘style template; developed by the SoMC, to ensure there is consistency and sensitivity as to use of materials, content and location.
66 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025
Figure 50. Entrance signage at West Norwood Cemetery.
As an example, similar interpretative signs are used in a number of parks in Lambeth such as Brockwell Park and Streatham Rookery, which are designed to educate and inform on interesting features such as the Walled Garden or ponds in Brockwell Park, or the Old English garden in the Rookery (Figure 51). Similar signage, if designed and positioned properly, would be a significant asset within the cemetery.
67 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025
Figure 51. Example of an interpretation sign suitable for West Norwood Cemetery – Brockwell Park heritage signage 2015.
7.6.4 Behavioural Signage
Given it is always necessary to inform the public about the ‘golden rules’ of using West Norwood Cemetery and to minimise or avoid inappropriate behaviour, there will be a requirement for suitable behavioural notices in the site, which may include:
. Signage at entrances to key areas on what is permitted or not; . ‘No Dogs Allowed’ or ‘Dogs on Leads’ signs on entrance gates or in sensitive areas; . Signage warning of uneven ground or ground under repair; . Signs to remind vehicle drivers of a speed limit (e.g. 5 mph) at entrances or key points.
These should be fabricated in aluminium plate or in vitreous enamel, yet relatively easy to make and replace if damaged. To minimise clutter and detracting from views, this signage should only be erected as required and left in place as a permanent reminder, or removed once a particular problem has been dealt with. One example of this type of signage is in place already, in the form of aluminium plate signs indicating opening and closing times at the main entrance and within the main access area of Zone 1 (Figure 50).
68 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 8. West Norwood Cemetery is Healthy, Safe and Secure
8.1 Objectives
To be healthy, safe and secure, the objectives should be priority at West Norwood Cemetery:
8.1.1 It is managed to ensure the personal safety and wellbeing of all users. 8.1.2 It is promoted as a place for appropriate physical activity, including walking, as well as for promoting mental wellbeing and social confidence.
8.2 Management Actions
Because it is treated by many as a public open space, albeit it is not a park or recreation ground, West Norwood Cemetery will be healthy, safe and secure for all members of the community who wish to use it. Issues that impact upon personal safety or create negative perceptions will be addressed in the management plan and implemented on the ground, and any new concerns which arise must be dealt with promptly and appropriately.
Of particular importance is a) equipment and facilities that are safe for people to use, b) people can enter, leave and move across the cemetery in safety, c) dog damage or fouling is prevented, d) unsafe features are repaired or removed, and e) there is signage to inform people on what to do in an emergency or how to report problems.
West Norwood Cemetery is perceived as safe and cared for, not only because there are visible staff but also because of a regular flow of users through the day providing reassurance and confidence. The cemetery has a relatively low incidence of violent crime compared to other open spaces in London and Lambeth, but it will always be prone to occasional ‘crime hotspots’ or a perceived ‘fear of crime’. The cemetery will be managed to ensure negative perceptions are reduced or removed, and no hotspots allowed to persist. As in most open spaces, some vandalism and graffiti will occur, but it must be quickly dealt with.
Whilst the main forecourt and drive has newly installed low-level ground lighting to help illuminate the way out and in, and provide an attractive setting, the main parts of cemetery have no internal night time lighting as it is locked at dusk. Nevertheless, the whole cemetery will be managed so views along main paths can be easily followed in low light levels and the public can quickly find their way out to the main entrance.
8.3 Risk Reduction and Management
Audits will be undertaken annually in West Norwood Cemetery, generating a risk assessment along with actions to reduce the risk or likelihood of accident, injury or crime. This will be compiled by the Cemetery Manager and other staff and identifies actions to balance the needs of personal safety and wellbeing against normal site use. All staff or volunteers who work in the cemetery must be aware of the risk assessment and must perform their duties in order to comply with it.
Cemetery staff, being present on site, will play a crucial role in ensuring the site is safe, taking action to remove or reduce any significant risks. Staff will inspect the cemetery when coming on duty and as they open gates, and this gives an opportunity to identify defects and isolate, repair or report them for action. Staff who remove litter and graffiti during the day will helps keep the site clean and welcoming.
69 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 Because of the presence of site staff vandalism and antisocial behaviour, once observed, must be reported immediately to the Cemetery Manager. The causes and consequences of any incidents must be assessed to see what preventative measures can be introduced to prevent further damage to or loss of property, or reduce any significant risks.
Accident and incident reporting books must be available in the staff depot or Cemetery Manager’s office to monitor and take action on incidents affecting public safety or asset protection, and include not just incidents reported to staff but any passed to the Police or Friends. Information from these reports will be used to compile crime statistics shared with the Police and Community Safety, but to also identify and target resources to remove risks, deter crime or improve surveillance and safe access.
8.4 Dogs and Dog Control
Whilst cemeteries are not generally seen as a prime destination for walking or exercising dogs, there will always be occasional incidents of members of the public walking a dog in West Norwood Cemetery, or bringing dogs on site when they are visiting and tending graves and memorials. Since it is unfeasible to physically prevent all dogs being brought on site, responsible dog owners will always be tolerated and welcomed in the cemetery provided they respect both it and the sensitivities of other users and uses.
Irresponsible dog owners allowing dogs to foul or damage any trees or other items in the cemetery will be challenged by staff and asked to pick up any dog mess and dispose of it, and/or asked to leave the site. Any damage caused by dogs will be recorded and may be passed to the council for further investigation and subsequent legal proceedings.
The London Borough of Lambeth is still covered by an order made under the Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996. Made in June 1997, this makes it an offence to allow a dog to foul the ground in any public open space to which the public are “entitled or permitted to have access” – this includes all areas within any of the borough’s public open spaces, including cemeteries. Under this order, council staff and the Police have powers to issue fines or seek prosecution for a person allowing a dog to foul or fail to dispose of any dog wastes.
However, it has long been realised that the scope and powers of orders made under the Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act are relatively limited and do not attract sufficient penalties to deter persistent offenders nor compel a person in charge of a dog to give a true name and address for fines or prosecutions.
Recognising the current deficiencies, Lambeth Council is now consulting on the making of what is known as a ‘Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) to address the shortcomings as to enforcing dog control and fouling. PSPOs were first created through powers given to local authorities by the Antisocial Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. PSPOs enable local authorities to prohibit certain activities or behaviours which are judged to be ‘antisocial’ or likely to cause offence or harm to local communities. PSPOs can be quite wide-ranging in terms of what is prohibited and where, and breach of any of these prohibitions can result in intervention by the police or council enforcement officers, and can ultimately result in a prosecution with financial and custodial implications.
Whilst powers to prevent dog fouling or to require dogs to be kept on leads or excluded from certain locations, including in West Norwood Cemetery, are the priority for any PSPOs for the council, it does enable other unacceptable activities to be covered, such as cycling at excessive speeds or trespass (e.g. bringing cars and caravans into a site). A detailed consultation is now in progress to determine what a PSPO will cover and where, as well as how any offences will be reported, investigated and prosecuted.
70 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 8.5 Traffic Management
Norwood Hill outside the cemetery is part of a one-way road system, running south from the town centre. Traffic congestion at the main cemetery entrance is not considered to be a significant issue, but were the frequency of burials to increase a review of traffic management into or within the site might be required.
Vehicle access and parking within West Norwood Cemetery is provided for a range of users, and the different types of visits and parking include:
• Office and grounds maintenance staff • Visits to graves • Funeral mourners for cremations and interments • Visits to the office for inquiries or bookings • Tourist visits, for guided walks or events
There are currently no restrictions on parking in West Norwood Cemetery; there is specific parking provision outside the Lodge and at the Crematorium, but otherwise drivers are allowed to park at will (Figure 52).
Figure 52. Vehicle parking in West Norwood Cemetery during a funeral service.
Easy access at convenient times for the majority of users is key to ensuring the viability of the cemetery as a dynamic part of the local community. However, more data is required to understand better the existing patterns of use and then how to manage any increased demand for the cemetery’s services, or if and when visitors numbers increase when it is restored and promoted more widely. This is already being implemented as an automatic counter and data logger is installed on the Tite arch at the main entrance, but additional counters could be installed on the vehicle and pedestrian gates on Norwood Road.
71 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 A number of monuments and structures are located close to path verges, and whilst there have been occasional incidents of damage caused by passing vehicles, current levels of traffic do not appear to be a major problem in terms of asset integrity or safety. Funeral directors are generally satisfied with circulation around the Crematorium and the council’s management of its services is succeeding in minimising any potential conflict between vehicles cars leaving and arriving the cemetery.
Road widths within the cemetery vary considerably between 3.5m and 5.5m; the St Mary at Hill path has also been narrowed in recent times to accommodate more burial space. With the narrower paths this means that vehicles attempting to use it, such as those of stonemasons installing new memorials, can frequently over-run its kerbs, risking some ground damage.
Discussions with funeral directors suggest most areas are accessible for pallbearers from the main vehicle routes. However, the St Mary at Hill path, for example, which leads to an area of common graves where reclamation is possible, has been narrowed over time and vehicle access is impracticable. In such cases, where distance from the main drive is considered too far, a church trolley could be used, and provided funeral directors are warned in advance of this limited access, it should not be a problem. In fact some funeral directors already possess this equipment, but the council may consider purchasing a trolley for those which do not.
The restricted space for the maintenance depot means a number of functions have spilled out on to the public roads around the cemetery, including parking diggers, the green waste bunkers at a road junction and waste skips near the Catacombs. This is something that needs attention in terms of a reorganisation of where operational equipment is based and the storage of green and other wastes, and which will be an integral part of the proposed restoration programme for the cemetery.
Implementation of the management plan will result in additional traffic, but this must be balanced against the unique character of the cemetery, which is fundamental to its attraction. Despite heavy traffic during some funerals, there is no evidence of an urgent need to manage this more intrusively with physical engineering solutions. For example, speed bumps are a potential hazard for horse-drawn hearses and undignified for funeral cortèges, and road chicanes require intrusive additional highway engineering and signage.
Reductions in vehicle speed and more considerate behaviour are the preferred solution, and can be achieved by other means than highway engineering solutions. One immediate action would be the installation of small-scale bespoke signs showing maximum speeds, and the inclusion of speed limits on all public information with a request that drivers respect the cemetery’s special character and keep speeds to that minimum. Likewise, discreetly located bollards would serve to protect vulnerable structures next to roads and paths. Resurfacing the cemetery’s main vehicular circuit in tar-spray and chip would help to create a distinctive ambience which may discourage people treating the cemetery’s roads as an extension of the public highway. Modern thinking on traffic management suggests fewer road markings and signs encourages greater caution and consideration among most vehicle drivers.
One other option is to investigate the possibility of closing the cemetery to traffic, even if only on certain days or times. Another London cemetery has designated Sunday afternoons as car-free, and such restrictions have been welcomed by over 50% of the cemetery users.
Regardless of whatever physical solutions are implemented, a record of incidents involving vehicles or complaints from cemetery users should be maintained and monitored, and reviewed annually – this will then inform and direct what measures are then required and how changes in behaviour and use can be achieved.
72 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 9. West Norwood Cemetery is Well Maintained and Clean
9.1 Objectives
To be well maintained, the following objectives are developed for West Norwood Cemetery:
9.1.1 It is free of litter, or any littering is quickly dealt with. 9.1.2 Grounds maintenance is carried out to a high standard. 9.1.3 Buildings and infrastructure are maintained to a high standard.
9.2 Current Status and Management Actions
Public consultation, through development of the management plan and development of the lottery funded restoration scheme, indicate how important a well maintained and tidy cemetery is. This is not just for aesthetic and heritage reasons but also for health and safety ones. Litter and waste management must be adequately dealt with, the grounds, buildings and equipment need to be well maintained, and all relevant policies should be in operation, monitored and subject to review.
9.3 Grounds Maintenance – Practical Management
Reviews of maintenance provision found that staffing levels in the cemetery, when fully met, should be adequate to implement the mowing regime specified in 2007. However, field surveys found that performance was below standard, with a lack of coordination between ride-on-mowing and strimming, failure to keep visitor amenities such as paths and seats clear, and failure to remove grass cuttings from the sward and adjoining paths. Grass mowing was not being started early and intensively enough, with the result that each year the maintenance team was fighting a losing battle and standards could not be kept up.
This prompted the council to carry out a performance review and restructure maintenance so that staff have the necessary skills and capacity to undertake horticultural works to the necessary standards. The current staffing levels are designed to ensure grounds maintenance is improved and maintained, albeit alongside having to ensure that paid-for bereavement services (e.g. grave excavation, internment, cremation) are provided. In addition to annual maintenance, the cemetery staff will be part of the proposed restoration programme, so that they are fully involved in planning activities such as clearance of excess areas of scrub and returning them to open grassland.
In 2015 it was decided to bring all existing grounds maintenance contracts ‘in house’ – in other words all contracted out services were returned to the council in spring 2016. This will not only cover public parks and open spaces in Lambeth, but also cemeteries and crematoria, so that all staff are under the council’s direct control, whether permanent or temporary. This will enable the council to have greater control over where staff are located and what works they carry out, which in the case of West Norwood Cemetery will have significant benefits in terms of horticultural and grounds maintenance standards.
9.4 West Norwood Cemetery – Maintenance Objectives
Lambeth Council expects that maintenance and management of its parks, public open spaces and cemeteries enables all or most sites to progress towards a Green Flag Award. West Norwood Cemetery is managed to Green Flag Award standard, as this provides an excellent indicator of standards being achieved to maintain the site in a safe and healthy condition, with good attention to detail and presentation.
73 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 The current maintenance specification for West Norwood Cemetery is written around service objectives and outputs, and Appendix Three details schedules pertinent to the cemetery broken down by zone, subject and category along with costs and expected frequencies of action. There are key maintenance objectives for West Norwood Cemetery; this list is not exhaustive and is an expanded snapshot of what the cemetery requires and what staff are tasked with undertaking. Core maintenance objectives for hard and soft landscapes are:
Hard Landscapes – Core Maintenance Objectives
• Maintain secure boundaries and ensure entrances are welcoming and unobstructed. • Maintain paths in a safe and clean condition. • Keep paths free of weeds and maintain original construction profiles. • Keep drainage gullies and inspection covers clear and address, as required, drainage problems to ensure durability of paths. • Maintain condition of any new internal boundaries or fencing. • Keep site furniture and signage clean and free of graffiti.
Soft Landscape – Core Maintenance Objectives
• Maintain the integrity and formality of avenues as key landscape features. • Establish programme of tree works with aim of perpetuating a historic planting design. • Prune and coppice shrubs with respect to their natural form and growth habit of the species. Pruning must be done sensitively and to high horticultural standard to ensure the planting design intention is realised. • Manage shrubs to give a varied height structure, to provide visual interest and for increased species diversity. • Shrubs must not reach a height or spread where they become a security issue. • Ensure soil is ameliorated and cultivated appropriately. • Ensure an evenly thriving and diverse range of planting. • Provide seasonal interest in planting, varying the current scheme as required in order to establish a coherent and horticulturally pleasing effect. • Lift and divide perennials annually or biennially as required to prevent plants becoming overgrown/control inconsistent rates of establishment. • Keep bed edges neatly edged and maintain a consistent profile to them. • Rotate seasonal or formal bedding displays for maximum impact throughout the year. • Planting should be planned in advance and plant choices reflect a coordinated approach across the seasonal bedding areas. • Keep beds free of weeds at all times and watered in dry conditions. • Maintain hedges as formal or informal depending on location and purpose. • Maintain amenity grass sward generally throughout the cemetery, as short cut lawn, amenity grass or as rough meadow grass, as specified.
9.4.1 Entrances
Trees and vegetation in the cemetery will be pruned back or removed at or close to all entrances, internal and external, to maintain an open feel and prevent damage or blocking of access. This supports key objectives in Chapter 7 to keep the cemetery safe and welcoming.
9.4.2 Paths
All paths must be in a safe and clean condition, free of weeds and their profiles maintained. Main paths must be regularly swept either by mechanical sweeper or hand as necessary in between or where paths are not accessible to automated machinery. Any defects or faults in any paths must be reported so repairs can be undertaken or the problem made secure.
74 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 9.4.3 Drains & Covers
All drain gullies and inspection covers must be kept secure and free of leaf litter, weeds and debris. Any blockages of drains must be reported so that an inspection can be carried out and repairs or cleaning undertaken. Any poorly-fitting, raised, broken or defective inspection covers must be reported for action to be taken.
9.4.4 Walls, Fencing, Railings and Gates
All fencing and gates must be kept maintained and free of defects or corrosion. All boundary fencing must be in a secure condition and accumulations of weeds, vegetation and debris on boundary walls or metal work removed, and damage to gates, fencing or walls reported.
9.4.5 Signage
All internal/external signage must be kept clean and free of defects; any permanent damage or defects must be reported so signage can be replaced or upgraded.
9.4.6 Infrastructure, Furniture, Fixtures and Fittings
The cemetery’s staff are responsible for maintaining furniture, fixtures and fittings as required, and are also responsible for recording condition and sharing this information with the Cemetery Manager so remedial action can be taken. Where items of furniture or fittings have been damaged, lost or deteriorated, the Cemetery Manager is responsible for commissioning replacements through approved suppliers.
9.4.7 Operational Buildings
All buildings to which the public, employees or visitors have access must be maintained in a condition appropriate to their use. Staff must open and visit each location to maintain buildings in a clean and hygienic condition, ensuring any essential consumable items are available at all times.
Lambeth Council is responsible for the structure, external fabric and curtilage of the cemetery’s principal buildings, which includes repairs and security measures. Staff using such buildings are required to keep the inside areas in good order, ensuring rooms and storage spaces are tidy, free of litter and secure when not occupied.
Repairs to or upkeep of buildings is through a facilities maintenance contractor to commission programmed repairs or works which covers buildings and works such as asbestos testing and removal, electrical and plumbing repairs, welding, roofing and fencing.
9.4.8 Grassland
Recent greenspace asset surveys have identified approximately 110,000 square metres (11 hectares) of grass in the cemetery which are specified as “general amenity”, “fine turf” or “rough meadow”. This will be maintained with a regime that provides an acceptable balance between cost and quality. Staff are also required to ensure good definition of paths and grass edges, especially in sensitive locations such as the Rose Garden, through edging during the winter periods or as necessary.
75 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 The current asset survey classes over 26,766 square metres of the cemetery as “rough meadow grass”; previous maintenance generally encouraged the nature conservation value of grassland which explains this abundance. However, the importance of removing grass cuttings to minimise soil enrichment must be emphasised, and it is important a balance is maintained between short and long grassland, and use of fertilisers and herbicides is minimised. Likewise, long grass regimes in defined blocks or linked contiguous strips, especially associated with other connecting features, are likely to deliver better results in terms of nature conservation (Figure 53).
Figure 53. Grassland management in a cemetery, showing definition between short lawn and longer grass areas.
Figure 54 is a map of the proposed grass mowing regime for the cemetery, which will better manage the separation of short and long grass.
9.4.9 Trees, Woodland and Scrub
West Norwood Cemetery contains many trees that are important features relating to its history, its current use and ecological or landscape value. Unfortunately in the past there were inappropriate plantings but this is being discouraged and rectified. All future restoration activities should enable a large number of inappropriate trees to be removed, partly to recover important views and landscapes, but also address issues over access and safety.
Past issues relating to trees are already being addressed through current management. This includes relocating dead wood to appropriate places to avoid ‘cluttering up’ the site and create discrete ‘dead wood habitat’ areas, remedial tree surgery where necessary; restoring traditional tree avenues by new plantings (if acceptable), and securing a sensible balance between native and ornamental species that respects the cemetery’s landscape setting and ecology, but also its laying out as a public space with important ‘arboretal’ tree species.
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Figure 54. Map of West Norwood Cemetery current grass mowing regime
77 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 Maintenance of mature trees, that is trees with a trunk circumference of more than 52 cm at 1 metre above ground level, is the responsibility of a specialist arboricultural contractor who maintains council-owned trees in parks and cemeteries. Trees in cemeteries are maintained on the basis of site inspection by a tree officer following a request from the Cemetery Manager or site staff. Therefore, the amount of money allocated to tree works in West Norwood Cemetery currently varies according to local requirements.
A key issue in terms of future landscape conservation is control of the existing scrub woodland. At present, adventitious secondary woodland, some up to thirty years old, is blocking views, dividing up the cemetery and blocking designed views), damaging memorials and paths and reducing biodiversity. Previous attempts to cut back scrub have been followed by a failure to maintain any gains with the result the scrub has re-encroached. Tree by tree inspection tends to focus on mature single trees that are a major physical hazard rather than looking at areas or groups of trees that are encroaching and only in time will become a hazard or cause damage and obstruction.
Therefore, as part of the cemetery’s current and future maintenance (including any funded restoration programme), a rolling programme of vegetation management is required concurrent with a programme of monument inspection, stabilisation and repair. This would entail a five-year programme of arboricultural works carried out each winter alongside an ongoing programme of grassland maintenance and conservation.
Figure 55. Scrub management in West Norwood Cemetery.
To improve tree management, the cemetery’s tree stock will be subject to annual inspection by the council’s tree officer to ensure their health and safety, as well as to confirm species, age and health alongside recommendations for remedial works.
78 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 On the basis of these inspections and other surveys, a ten-year tree and vegetation management plan should be commissioned with the aim of a) controlling arborescent ivy on monuments, buildings and trees; b) conservation of mature or notable trees; c) removal of inappropriate or invasive trees; d) a five-year rolling programme of scrub and weed-tree clearance; and e) a rolling programme of tree planting broadly based on the layout and mix of coniferous and deciduous as first recorded on the 1870 Ordnance Survey. This programme of vegetation management must be coordinated with the rolling programme of monument inspection, stabilisation and repair.
Figure 56. Woodland and tree management in Lambeth’s open spaces.
9.4.10 Shrubs and Hedges
Sections of the cemetery contain boundary, border or linear areas of shrubs or hedges which need to be managed to good standards. Specifications for maintaining them include renovation of shrub plantings, prune and cut back over-mature, dead and dying specimens, and cultivate/ameliorate soils to allow plants to regenerate and improve condition.
Shrubs and ground cover are introduced to bare areas within existing shrub borders, and existing retained planting filled out with appropriate species. For shrub beds in shady areas of the cemetery, species tolerant of shade and low light must be chosen. Existing hedges and shrub beds, if deemed of heritage importance or associated with a specific monument, must be reinstated and with species that are in keeping with that monument or area.
8.4.11 Seasonal, Rose and Other Planted Beds
With respect to existing seasonal, rose, herbaceous and other planted beds, the priority will be to ensure all bed edgings are neat and have a consistent profile, are free of weeds, and watered in dry conditions. A core priority is to improve the standard for horticulture across the cemetery, especially in and around key heritage or public features such as the Rose Garden, Crematorium and main entrance (Figure 57).
79 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 To deliver this a proportion of the revenue maintenance budget is allocated to purchase of plants and shrubs and for time to plant them, based on planting plans agreed with the SoMC. The intention is to restore, as best as possible, some of the original heritage features or views, whilst also incorporating ecological and visual ones.
Figure 57. The Rose Garden, West Norwood Cemetery, where planted and rose bed management requires a high standard of maintenance.
9.5 Cleanliness and Waste Removal
Lambeth Council places significant emphasis on maintaining a high level of cleanliness at West Norwood Cemetery, keeping it free of litter and waste. Enquiries and complaints about cleanliness or nuisance will be made via the Lambeth Call Centre on 020 7926 9000 (or email to [email protected]), and sent to the Cemetery Manager to inspect and instruct staff to rectify the problem. However the public may telephone or email in a complaint, but the council also receives complaints through Councillors, the Friends, SoMC or members of the public directly reporting an issue to staff on site.
8.5.1 Litter, Flytipping and Clinical Waste
Management of any cemetery generates a variety of waste materials and their storage and containment can be problematic and visually intrusive.
The removal of waste is undertaken by cemetery maintenance staff as part of their daily work programme or as instructed by the Cemetery Manager. The council should aim to maintain West Norwood Cemetery to Grade A standard for Zones 1 and 2 as defined in the Environmental Protection Act 1990. This means it should be free of litter and other debris on the ground, with special emphasis on ensuring entrances, paths and high-use areas such as the Crematorium and Rose Garden are clean and safe to use. Where required, the council can allocate staff or resources to perform additional cleaning duties or visits where littering is abnormally heavy, such as after weekends or special events.
80 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 Greenwaste, including stripped-down floral tributes, chippings from vegetation maintenance, and spoil from excavations is deposited by staff in a three-bay bunker at a road junction just below the Crematorium. The waste is then taken off site for further storage or treatment. These bays are visually unattractive as well as creating unnecessary hazards. Although levels of spoil generated are low, future proposals for increased grave reuse mean storage requirements will increase and a permanent, better located site is required. The removal of these bays and a more suitable storage location with improved screening is now a key action for implementation, whether before or during the planned restoration of the cemetery.
Litter bins are located within the cemetery and checked daily when the site opens; they are emptied as required but this frequency can be increased if required. Staff pick up litter as they patrol the cemetery or attend to scheduled duties, which is deposited in bin bags for collection, along with bags removed from bins, and taken for storage in larger bins within and beside the cemetery depot for subsequent disposal by the council’s waste contractors.
It is accepted that a better system of storing and disposing of waste collected from bins and the grounds is required; informal dumping of waste and other materials outside and within the depot, is not acceptable. Better screening of deposited waste and storage bins is required, and a more regulated system of storing and then bringing out bins for collection by the waste contractor is a priority for action. The possible rebuilding of the depot, whether before or as part of the cemetery’s restoration programme, would offer an opportunity to remodel the whole building and create an increased outside area for the effective storage of litter and greenwaste that is screened from public view.
Flytipping is not a regular event in the cemetery, but if found it will be quickly removed. Likewise, clinical waste such as discarded needles, syringes and human waste must be removed as found or reported and disposed to specialised containers and securely stored until removed.
9.5.2 Dog Waste
West Norwood Cemetery will be used by people for walking and exercising dogs, so its management must take account of the presence of dog waste. Under new waste legislation, dog waste can be deposited in standard litter bins, although the public must bag this securely beforehand: any dog waste is then disposed of as for standard litter.
9.5.3 Graffiti and Flyposting
The cemetery does not experience excessive or unusual amounts of graffiti or flyposting, but if it occurs it must be dealt quickly, because of the site’s sensitivity and that of its users, especially the bereaved.
Graffiti and flyposting, including on buildings, fences, boundary railings and paths, is attended to by staff where it is safe to do so using proprietary materials, but if this is on sensitive monuments or structures a specialist contract may be brought in to ensure damage to the stone or metal surfaces is avoided. Normal flyposting or graffiti is removed within 7 days, but usually this is much quicker as site staff can deal with it when seen or reported. Graffiti or posters deemed obscene, racist or otherwise offensive must be removed within 24 hours of being reported.
81 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 10. West Norwood Cemetery is a Sustainable Site
10.1 Objectives
To be sustainable, the following objectives have been developed for West Norwood Cemetery:
10.1.1 It is managed to minimise consumption and waste of non-renewable resources. 10.1.2 It is managed to increase the use of sustainable resources and to reduce adverse impacts upon the natural and human environment.
10.2 Current Status and Management Actions
West Norwood Cemetery must be managed using methods that are environmentally sound and rely on best available practice to reduce the cemetery’s impact upon the environment, demonstrate they are putting these into practice, and reviewing their effectiveness.
10.3 Sustainability in Parks and Open Spaces
Lambeth Council is committed to improving sustainability in all of its open spaces - not just financial and economic sustainability but also environmental. This commitment includes West Norwood Cemetery as demonstrated by a number of practical actions.
Lambeth Council adopted a Sustainability Charter in 2007, which sets out how it manages assets and resources to minimise its impact upon the local and global environment. The Charter applies to West Norwood Cemetery as it does for all public spaces, so its management must put the Charter into practice, and be subject to review and challenge.
Opportunities to conserve energy and water and reduce pollution should be taken, pesticide use kept minimal and justified, and use of horticultural peat is eliminated. Waste plant material should be recycled on site, and used as compost and mulch. High horticultural and arboricultural standards help reduce pollution, waste and environmental impact. The next sections describe some practical actions that can be undertaken in West Norwood Cemetery to deliver the Sustainability Charter.
10.4 Recycling of General Wastes
Given that managing waste is a large cost item in maintaining West Norwood Cemetery, Lambeth Landscapes is committed to all available opportunities to not only reduce the amounts of litter deposited in the cemetery but also to increase the proportion that is recycled. In terms of recycling of general wastes, e.g. bottles, packaging, plastics, a number of actions are being implemented through the life time of this plan. These include:
• Installation of prominent ‘recycling points’ at key locations with green bins labelled specifically for recyclables. These can be placed at key intersections or entry points in order to maximise awareness and use, and their contents will be incorporated into the current recycling waste management systems operated by the council. • Working with all leaseholders and those organising both commercial and community events, to ensure that a) they are selling goods that have minimum packaging or in containers that can be recycled, and b) that they include recycling facilities and bins in all of their waste stream processes. These requirements will become conditions of any leases or licence agreements and will be appropriately monitored for compliance.
82 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 • Maximising the proportion of equipment and consumables used by Lambeth Landscapes staff which can be recycled or reused, and minimising packaging, so that their net contribution to the cemetery’s overall waste stream is as small as possible. • Installation of drinking water fountains at strategic locations to encourage the public to use and replenish their own water bottles rather than buying and then disposing of single- use bottles of water.
Concurrent with actions to increase recycling of wastes is encouraging those using the cemetery to reduce the amounts of waste they actually generate or leave on site, which is a constant challenge. However, a number of actions will be implemented during the life of this plan to try and improve the awareness of the public to leave less litter or to increase what they do to recycle wastes:
• Use of publicity in the form of posters and ‘key messages’ on notice boards, entrance signage and on all bins, asking people to not only put their litter in any bins rather than on the ground, but to take it home or recycle it where this is possible. • Ongoing publicity on vehicles, websites and other printed/online materials, highlighting the amount of money spent on dealing with litter and waste to make users think about the consequences of littering and the benefits that result from less waste and more recycling in terms of additional resources for playgrounds, sports and providing toilets, etc. • Targeting local businesses, especially supermarkets or food outlets, so as to increase the amount of bins they provide on their premises (including recycling points) so that customers can dispose of this on site, or displaying publicity asking them to dispose of litter responsibly or to recycle at home. • Working with organisations such as WRAP, Keep Britain Tidy and the Mayor of London to deliver events and activities in the local area, e.g. in schools and colleges, to increase awareness of the impacts of litter and waste, and the importance of both recycling and reducing the amounts of packaging when buying goods.
10.5 Recycling, Composting and Peat Policy
Lambeth Council requires its staff to purchase and use peat-free materials for all horticultural activities, and use compost derived from recycled green waste produced from the borough’s open spaces or brought in from a reputable local source, of sufficient quantity and quality, to undertake mulching and weed suppression. The council has a commitment that all plants put into the cemetery are grown and supplied in peat-free compost. Commercial plant suppliers are used who can guarantee peat-free stock and staff routinely monitor compliance when inspecting planting schemes.
There are occasions when plants are supplied in a peat-based medium because it is difficult to get them to grow in an alternative medium or where the cost of providing plants in peat-free material is expensive. In such cases the policy is to minimise the selection of such plants, and ensure that they are planted out in a non-peat based material that permits normal growth – the peat medium they were supplied in is then composted in greenwaste.
When trees, shrubs and scrub are cut back or removed the resulting green waste must be chipped up and spread on shrub beds or boundary lines as mulch, or the excess allowed to rot down until it can be composted. Only green waste produced in the cemetery should be deposited back on borders and beds, unless demand is greater than supply, and additional material must be acquired from suitable locations to fulfil maintenance requirements.
Lambeth Council is committed to a programme of greenwaste recycling across the borough to progressively reduce the amounts of greenwaste stored or sent to incineration or landfill. (Figure 58). This is to maximise the amount of green waste composted and reused back in its open spaces or offered to local school and community garden projects free or at zero profit.
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Figure 58. Recycling greenwaste at Clapham Common (London Borough of Lambeth)
10.6 Pesticides and Fertilisers
Lambeth Council actively pursues the reduction of chemicals in its open spaces. Staff are not permitted to use pesticides in any public area without prior permission and only to address a specific problem which affects site integrity, public safety or contravenes the law. Systemic herbicides are approved for control of pernicious weeds like Japanese Knotweed; the principal herbicide is glyphosate (‘Roundup’) in stable preparations for spraying, weed wiping or spot application. As a general rule weed wiping and spot spraying is the preferred methods of application as they are economical in terms of cost and reduce the risk of spray drift to minimise side effects on non-target plants, or placing the health of the public or staff at risk.
As part of its new equipment purchase programme Lambeth Landscapes has acquired a ‘hot water weed treatment’ system which uses hot water to ‘steam kill’ pernicious weeds without the use of chemicals, including foams or detergents. The system is vehicle portable and can be taken to an area with a weed problem and a variety of water application units including a high-pressure directional jet lance and strip sprayer can be used to kill weeds either by spot application or in strips. The system is now being used in the cemetery, especially on paths or hard surfaces where weeds, including mosses, need to be avoided or removed.
Lambeth Landscapes is required to produce sufficient composted waste from tree removal and chipping, greenwaste recycling and leaf clearing to undertake weed suppression through the use of mulching instead of using herbicides or fertilisers. Staff in West Norwood Cemetery must consider the use of biodegradable matting or mulch on semi-mature trees and similar means of weed suppression.
84 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 10.7 Energy and Water Conservation
It is inevitable that mains water is used in West Norwood Cemetery given the number of features that require watering, especially the abundant plants on individual graves, the high- demand planting within the Rose Garden around the Crematorium, and various formal planting schemes such as at the main entrance. However, actions are taken by the council to help minimise water use and avoid wastage.
The use of mulching and compost on beds and borders helps minimise water use. Plants bought into the cemetery are kept away from direct sunlight in sheltered parts of the depot until planted out; if watering is needed this is using a fine mist spray nozzle to dampen pots. Once planted out self-regulating spraying heads are used to provide water to plant bases in a mist rather than just pouring water on using a hose. New trees have mulching or matting around bases, and only watered when necessary.
Selection of plants for use in the cemetery follows the principle of preferring disease, frost and especially drought tolerant species. This is to reduce the amount of watering needed at critical times of the year or that the water demands of plants are naturally low and can cope with water stress. The selection of plants for naturalised areas, hedges, shrubs and bedding is on the basis of reducing the need for watering, so that there are low maintenance demands for both council and community.
All accessible water points are regularly inspected to check their water use, with water bills profiled across buildings or zones, and deviations from the norm remedied if necessary. Where old pipes are to be replaced, new polypropylene pipes will be installed, along with non-return valves, to minimise leakage, and all new taps will be percussion operated to prevent them being left on and wasting water.
Following installation of groundwater boreholes at Brockwell Park and Clapham Common which helped reduce water bills, the option to install one at West Norwood Cemetery cannot be discounted. This would be subject to suitable groundwater reserves being available and the cost of drilling and installing the borehole and pumping apparatus being acceptable, but it would radically reduce the costs for supplying water to extensive areas of the cemetery. Groundwater is free compared to mains water provided the volume used does not exceed a certain daily limit (currently 20,000 litres/day for London), and provided it undergoes basic treatment to remove potential pathogens it can be used at source or distributed widely across the site to selected water points. Investigation into the location, costs and provision of such a groundwater borehole facility should be included in any future cemetery restoration programme as a key means to control revenue costs and improve sustainability
Finally, opportunities to conserve energy – electricity and gas – are constantly under review, and actions implemented where realistic and achievable. For example, the burners in the Crematorium have been upgraded to minimise fuel consumption and maximise waste heat conservation, and energy efficient light bulbs will be used wherever possible, both within buildings and in all external lighting. Improvements to or upgrading of any buildings as part of the cemetery’s future restoration programme, such as the maintenance depot, must incorporate a full suite of energy conservation measures, and for any new buildings, such as proposed visitor centre near the main entrance to the cemetery, this should be mandatory.
Opportunities to install photovoltaic cells on roofs of both existing and new buildings should be investigated, albeit any must be in keeping with the cemetery’s heritage character and be of a design that are discreet and blend into surrounding views and built materials.
85 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 11. West Norwood Cemetery as a Conservation and Heritage Flagship
11.1 Objectives
To be and remain a conservation and heritage flagship, the following objectives have been developed for West Norwood Cemetery:
11.1.1 It is managed to maintain its heritage character, to protect and raise the profile of existing heritage features, and provide them with new and appropriate uses. 11.1.2 It is managed to ensure existing wildlife habitats are protected and enhanced, and opportunities to create new ones are taken. 11.1.3 Trees are managed to protect them from loss or inappropriate removal, and opportunities sought to plant new trees suitable to the cemetery’s character.
11.2 Current Status and Management Actions
Particular attention will be paid to conservation and management of the wide range of landscape features on site, and buildings or structural features relating to its original creation.
Likewise the cemetery contains features important for biodiversity and protection of wildlife such as the many trees of different ages, heights, shapes and suitability to birds, insects, fungi and mammals. The cemetery offers considerable opportunity to increase and enhance its biodiversity value, through appropriate management and habitat creation.
11.3 Protection and Enhancement of Heritage Character
West Norwood Cemetery itself is a designated landscape of national importance, registered Grade II* on Historic England’s "Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest – West Norwood Cemetery and Crematorium", which recognises it as being of a sufficiently high level of interest to merit a national designation.
The register itself entails no additional statutory controls but the historic interest of a site on the register is established as a material planning consideration and provides a means by which features of special historic interest can be identified. It draws attention to the fact that a site should receive special consideration if changes or development are contemplated.
There is a formal requirement for the council to consult Historic England over planning applications related to West Norwood Cemetery as it is II*. All of the conservation assets in West Norwood Cemetery, including all listed structures, are recorded on Lambeth Planning’s Conservation Register and information on their condition are shared with Historic England.
11.3.1 Conservation of Buildings and Monuments
West Norwood’s chief characteristic in terms of its heritage interest is its outstanding collection of historic monuments and headstones. Many of these have been repaired in recent years under guidance of the SoMC, but the outstanding collection of mausolea, substantial structures in their own right, poses difficulties of a different order of magnitude. This process needs to be accelerated and put on a longer-term and more strategic basis; it also needs to be coordinated with the site’s grounds maintenance.
It is essential a comprehensive inspection and repair programme is set up to establish a basis for future management and maintenance to meet the council’s obligations under health and safety legislation, and its obligations under listed building and conservation legislation.
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Figure 59. West Norwood Cemetery, looking west to the main entrance, showing the diversity of monuments and other heritage features.
A monument condition survey was commenced but was incomplete in 2004; this survey should be reviewed and completed as a matter of urgency by a conservator and conservation architect experienced in monument conservation. A definitive map and record of all significant monuments in the cemetery must be compiled, including the following categories:
• All listed monuments and mortuary structures • All non-listed mortuary structures (i.e. “buildings”) • All non-listed large monuments (i.e. with vaults) • Non-listed smaller monuments of architectural/historical significance (i.e. without vaults) • Non-listed headstones and grave markers of architectural or historical interest
There is an element of judgement as to which smaller monuments and headstones to include and which are significant; eventually all monuments should be recorded, but this is a very time-consuming task.
87 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 Once the survey has advanced, an assessment of priorities must be made for each of the categories of monuments identified above, assessing the urgency of repair, following the categories used in a Church of England Quinquennial Inspection report:
• I – immediate action: those in imminent danger of collapse and posing serious health and safety risks to visitors and employees; • A – within 2 years: those in a serious state of decay posing health and safety risks to visitors and employees; • B – within 5 years: those in a deteriorating condition which, if not repaired, could pose a health and safety risk; • C – within 10 years: those in moderate condition which would benefit from maintenance and repairs to prevent deterioration, and which should be resurveyed after 5 years; • D: those in moderate to good condition which do not require any immediate work, but should be resurveyed after 10 years.
It was estimated that if employed directly, a monument repair programme with two full-time operatives and one full-time administrator, plus salary/on-costs would require £75-80,000, with start-up costs of approximately £50,000 to cover equipment such as generator, vehicle, cleaning kit. An annual budget of approximately £20,000 would be required for consumables. Alternatively, a contract could be let to a specialist conservation mason. It has been estimated that a budget of approximately £100,000 would enable some 25 monuments to be repaired in a year. Over ten years this would allow for around 200-250 monuments in total.
In the case of the mausolea, the first step is commissioning a strategy to assess condition and determine priorities and budget estimates. Priorities would be determined on the basis of significance and risk, and a strategy would also investigate the means of funding these repairs as and when they became urgent. For example, there may be potential to link the cemetery to training or specialist building conservation courses to reduce the cost of repairs.
Such a programme will be essential to the reclamation and/or reuse of burial space in the cemetery. Whilst many graves are no longer marked by a memorial, many are and management will need to assess memorials in any zone identified for reclamation or reuse. However, the programme should be pursued as a matter of urgency, irrespective of progress on reclamation and reuse; in this task the council will work closely with the Friends who represent a significant source of voluntary labour and expertise.
A schedule of monument works will be drawn up annually by the management committee. From Year 2 onwards, it should take account of the impact of the previous year’s vegetation clearance and works in an annual schedule should be prioritised with reference to the Church of England criteria described above. However, an additional criteria was suggested for adding to those already described, namely:
• Monuments of landscape significance, i.e. prominent in views or groups
Monuments at risk or posing a threat will need to be assessed against the management committee’s criteria to determine whether they should conserved in situ and as found, conserved for sale and re-use in situ; conserved for sale and re-use elsewhere in the cemetery, or removed.
A method for testing monument stability will need to be agreed. Good practice on risk management and monument safety has been published by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ, Managing the Safety of Burial Ground Monuments, 2009). The Cemetery Manager should draw up guidelines for a comprehensive testing programme for all standing memorials and the results should be fed into the schedule.
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The annual programme of works will need to be approved by both the Diocese, which has jurisdiction over consecrated areas, and by the council’s Conservation Officer, who will be a member of the site management committee. The cemetery contains a high number of listed monuments, mausolea and other structures, such as walls, gates and railings.
It has been suggested that by virtue of its forming the curtilage of these listed structures the whole of the built structure of the cemetery is de facto listed. This is open to interpretation, however, but proceeding on this basis, management of the cemetery needs to agree a reasonable procedure for securing listed building consent for the programme of repairs essential to this plan. It should be borne in mind that only alterations need listed building consent while like-for-like repairs do not although for the Grade II* structures Historic England need to be consulted on all works.
In principle, an area-based consent for each annual work programme would be of great benefit in terms of reducing the bureaucratic burden. This approach needs to be agreed with Historic England and the council’s Conservation Officer, but could be based on:
• Approval of the overall aims and policies of this management plan; • Adoption of the management plan as supplementary planning guidance; • Approval of the brief to the contractor; • Approval of the method-statement proposed by the contractor; • Inspection and approval of the works.
In order to assist the management committee, the appendices of this plan contain a draft memorials repair specification and monument conservation guidance, both drawn up by conservation architects.
11.3.2 The Catacombs
The Catacombs in the cemetery are currently protected by a temporary roof with extended planning permission; the entire structure is on Historic England’s Buildings at Risk Register. The former memorial rose garden had failed to prevent water penetration and steps are being taken to measure conditions in the catacombs. The garden has little design merit and made redundant by the new Rose Garden to which memorial plants have been relocated.
In 2004 an options appraisal was carried out for the Catacombs, which outlined four options. No further decisions were made subsequent to the appraisal and it is now urgent an option is chosen by the cemetery management board, and a feasibility study commissioned to identify costs. This study would involve a number of technical issues relating to the human remains in the Catacombs as well as structural conservation and design for the ground level. Were a new chapel the preferred option, a business plan would also be required, to explore its financial viability. Restoration of the Catacombs, based on the preferred option, is seen as a priority element of any bid to HLF and BIG for the cemetery’s overall restoration.
10.3.3 The Greek Chapel
In 2004 a condition survey was carried out of the Greek Chapel, which is owned by the Greek Cathedral Cemetery Enclosures Trust (Figure 60). Though a condition survey has a shelf life of five years, there are currently no obvious signs of dramatic changes. As a guide, an updated cost for the repairs scoped in that survey were in the range of £300,000. In 2017 pilot studies were undertaken on two tombs in the chapel to assess their condition and draw up more detailed costs for their full stabilisation and refurbishment (Appendix 3).
89 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025
Figure 60. The Greek Chapel in West Norwood Cemetery.
However, repair in itself is of limited value if use continues to dwindle. The Trust needs to be asked what its long-term plans for the building and its use are. There is considerable potential in principle for the building to find a new use if converted to public access. The conversion of a similar chapel at York General Cemetery has been very successful, being used for a range of activities including not just meetings and lectures, but concerts, exhibitions and teas on open days.
It is recommended that a feasibility study on its conversion is commissioned which would include a review of the 2004 condition survey. There are a number of issues which would need to be addressed including access, possibly from the south side via a new gate in the enclosure, as well as lighting, provision of toilets, utilities, etc., but without such a study at this stage costs and realistic plans for its alternative use cannot be provided.
11.3.4 Walls, Fencing, Railings and Gates
The cemetery’s listed walls, railings and gates have been subject to ad hoc repair since the SoM was introduced. However, vegetation removal from these walls is ongoing and it is vital all copings are repaired and properly embedded to prevent water penetration. Any external or exposed ironwork must be inspected by a qualified conservation architect and specifications for repairs drawn up as required. Following repair or restoration these elements must be incorporated in a cyclical inspection and maintenance regime which also includes hard landscape features like paths.
Annual inspections will identify required minor repairs, while a quinquennial review by a suitably qualified conservation architect or officer will identify more major repairs. Exposed ironwork should, for example, have local areas of corrosion addressed annually, but repainting will be required every five years at least.
90 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 11.3.5 Landscape Conservation
The key issue in terms of landscape conservation is the control of scrub-woodland. At present, adventitious secondary woodland, some up to thirty years old, is blocking views, dividing up the cemetery and blocking designed views (Figure 58), damaging memorials and paths and reducing biodiversity.
Figure 61. View from the Crematorium and Catacombs Area in West Norwood Cemetery, showing the gradual loss of important landscape views due to excessive scrub-woodland encroachment.
Occasional attempts to cut back scrub have been followed by failure to maintain gains with the result that the scrub has again encroached
11.4 Protection and Enhancement of the Natural Environment
West Norwood Cemetery contains a number of features important to wild plants and animals, and to local people to experience and appreciate wildlife. As well as trying to retain and enhance these existing features, the cemetery’s management will aim to increase the areas of these features, or create new ones where wildlife is deficient. This section describes actions to protect and enhance West Norwood Cemetery as a biodiversity resource.
10.4.1 The Lambeth Biodiversity Action Plan
The Lambeth Biodiversity Action Plan (Lambeth BAP) is Lambeth’s statement on actions the borough will undertake to protect, promote and enhance wildlife. The BAP, which is being reviewed and updated in 2018, consists of a set of ‘Action Plans’, one for each habitat or species identified as important for Lambeth. Each Action Plan describes why the Council has chosen a particular habitat or species, and what it intends to do to protect and promote it, and so help raise the profile and status of biodiversity in Lambeth.
91 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 The Lambeth BAP is linked intimately with the ‘London Biodiversity Plan’ and in turn to the UK Biodiversity Action Plan; many of the actions set out in the Lambeth BAP are similar to those in the London and UK ones, so that action taken by Lambeth at the local level will have implications and benefits to biodiversity on a regional and national scale.
West Norwood Cemetery makes a clear contribution to delivery of the BAP as a number of features of biodiversity value such as its trees, grassland and scrub areas, and the many monuments and graves. In addition the sustainable management and use of the site is compatible with the needs of biodiversity such as pesticide avoidance, greenwaste mulching/composting and water conservation.
11.4.2 Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation
Across Lambeth sites are identified for their importance for biodiversity and nature conservation. These are called Local Wildlife Sites or ‘Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINCs)’; SINCs can have Metropolitan, Borough or Local importance for nature conservation. SINCs are formally recognised and protected in Lambeth’s Local Development Plan from inappropriate use, development or loss. Information on Lambeth’s SINC sites can be found on the Greenspace Information for Greater London (GiGL)’s website at www.gigl.org.uk/online
West Norwood Cemetery has been a Borough Grade SINC (Code SINC21) since at least 1994, as confirmed through regular ecological surveys. Surveys demonstrate that species diversity in the cemetery had remained stable which reflected changes or improvements in site management, creation of wildlife-friendly features (especially trees and naturalised grassland areas), and reduced use of chemical means of pest control.
11.4.3 Naturalised Area Management
It is accepted that there is no major conflict between the aims of historic landscape conservation and nature conservation within the cemetery. Removal of scrub woodland and reinstatement of species rich grassland is on balance beneficial to wildlife.
One of the more problematic native species present in the cemetery, which needs careful management is ivy (Hedera helix). Whilst ivy is undoubtedly of benefit to wildlife as a habitat and source of food, its control is necessary given the importance of the site and the threat that uncontrolled ivy growth poses to the historic monuments and structures, the stability of older trees, and the ‘choking out’ open grassland and marginal habitat (Figure 59).
Juvenile ivy can be also tolerated on monuments for its decorative qualities, but it needs to be removed to allow inspection of monuments or if it begins to affect the stability of headstones or monuments. Likewise, juvenile ivy is an attractive and useful ground cover plant in shady areas and can be conserved as part of the mosaic of habitats, but where it is beginning to ‘carpet’ ground cover and restrict a suitable floral diversity, it will need controlling so it does not over-dominate.
Ivy should be retained on mature trees where it is not affecting their health, although there is consensus that ivy will harm the health and stability of trees once it enters its arboresecent phase. Furthermore, it needs annual monitoring: it should be removed before it grows to its fruiting stage, when it will rapidly become too top-heavy. Therefore, arborescent ivy should be systematically removed from trees, with cutting restricted to the period of June to January to avoid disturbance to nesting birds.
92 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025
Figure 62. Ivy growth in West Norwood Cemetery: management is critical to prevent loss of open habitat and damage to existing monuments.
All ivy should be removed by hand without using herbicides, both on trees and monuments, preferably by first severing its basal stems so the plant dies back sufficiently for it to be ‘lifted off’ trees, monuments and structures without damaging the surface or leaving plant fragments behind which may grow back.
On the ground, ivy can be strimmed or cut away in blocks or ‘carpets’ but this can be tedious and time consuming, and selected herbicide use or heavy excavation or ‘flailing’ machinery may be required to ensure all stems and roots have been taken out. At the same time some selective tree thinning or removal may be required in order to open up the canopy so ground conditions are not favourable to ivy re-encroachment.
Additional habitat creation should target the boundaries of the cemetery, where there is scope for new planting both of trees and shrubs to replace the belt of planting which originally encircled the cemetery. There is also scope for planting around individual memorials to recreate the original character of the cemetery.
The list below describes some management activities that can be instituted in West Norwood Cemetery to protect, promote and extend its natural value:
a) Cutting back and opening up areas of secondary woodland and rank scrub to restore or maintain an open canopy, promoting grassland recovery and reducing dominance by ivy, bramble and ground elder; b) ‘Relaxation’ of the normal grass cutting regimes to create and maintain discrete areas of rough or meadow grassland, with sensitive planting of native trees and shrubs that attracts wild birds and flying invertebrates all year round;
93 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 c) Creating species-rich habitat by turf stripping, e.g. removing rank amenity grass and topsoils to expose nutrient-poor subsoils which can be seeded by perennial native species to ‘brighten up’ areas and add pollinator and wildlife interest; d) Planting native bulbs in ‘drifts’ under trees or along verges; e) Planting of historic tree species in order to restore the original landscaping plan but which also have ecological interest; f) Planting native hedges around the cemetery boundaries in more naturalised areas to create ‘green corridors’ but also add an additional layer of site security if spiny or sharp-leaved species are used; g) Retention of tree trunks and stumps, plus old or recycled fragments of graves and monuments, and burial in discrete areas to create vegetation-covered ‘beetle banks’ which are attractive to wood and ground-dwelling invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles and fungi.
Figure 63. Earth star fungi in a Lambeth woodland; one of the species that will benefit from enhanced woodland and grassland management in West Norwood Cemetery.
One of the key priorities for the West Norwood Cemetery Activities Coordinator, once appointed with progression of Stage 1 and 2 of the HLF restoration programme, will be to organise and deliver a series of practical actions to conserve and improve the cemetery’ wildlife habitats.
This programme will be managed in partnership with the Friends of West Norwood Cemetery and Lambeth Landscapes’ ecologists and will aim to provide the required balance between the biodiversity value of the cemetery and its heritage status, whilst also helping improve public access without conflicting with the need to protect sensitive wildlife habitats and vulnerable monuments.
94 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 12. The Community is Involved in West Norwood Cemetery
12.1 Objectives
To ensure it serves the needs of its users and local community, the following objectives have been developed for West Norwood Cemetery:
12.1.1 Its management actively involves users of the cemetery. 12.1.2 Community activities are actively encouraged and supported, provided they are sensitive to the character and current use of the cemetery as a place of bereavement.
12.2 Current Status and Management Actions
Lambeth Council is committed to supporting involvement of members of the community in public open spaces. Management must demonstrate it understands and is responsive to the needs of a site’s user base and is aware of changing patterns of use, as well as being able to show community involvement, and that facilities are appropriate to their needs.
Figure 64. Entrance view of West Norwood Cemetery (London Borough of Lambeth)
12.3. Community Involvement
West Norwood Cemetery is surrounded by a large diverse community in an area where there is a lack of accessible public open space. For residents in Lambeth and in nearby Southwark and Croydon the cemetery provides access to a space that is free or available whilst open, particularly to mourn and remember the dead or to learn about those interred there. To ensure it has a viable future and is meeting the needs of its users, the cemetery aims for strong visible community that is involved in its management, and are encouraged to devise and deliver projects of their own compatible with the cemetery’s character and content.
95 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 Should a successful bid to the HLF/BIG for the cemetery’s restoration be successful at Stage 2, a key requirement will be an “Audience Development Plan” (ADP). This will deliver a range of activities that increase the public’s awareness and interest in any site that has benefited from lottery funding, so that any restoration and improvement works provide a tangible benefit to users and the wider community.
It is heartening that in advance of any such funding bids there is already strong community interest in the cemetery as a place of learning and discovery. Staff and user groups are committed to making it better known, so helping address any negative perceptions such as that the ‘cemetery is closed to the public’ and encouraging positive uses (e.g. history and wildlife walks). This will be built upon as part of any ADP, which will also enable new activities to be funded and supported, ideally by new and site-specific staff.
12.4 Friends of West Norwood Cemetery
Central to the management of West Norwood Cemetery are the Friends of West Norwood Cemetery (FoWNC, http://www.fownc.org/). Formed in 1989, they have proved to be a remarkably dedicated and effective group, not least in bringing previous illegal burials and demolition of monuments to a halt. The group has a stable membership of around 250 and represents a considerable reservoir of local historical knowledge and voluntary labour. Their research and publications provide an important source for interpretation, whilst their guided walks contribute significantly to improving intellectual access to the site. The Friends have an important role in the site’s management via the SoMC and other advisory groups, and are in regular contact with the Cemetery Manager.
Whilst the Friends’ membership is stable, like any voluntary group it is looking at ways to expand and refresh itself, because for public agencies and grant-providing bodies the breadth of stakeholder participation is an increasingly important consideration. The HLF, for example, favours preparation of a dedicated Volunteer Action Plan, which looks at developing recruitment, training and effective engagement by local users, which the Friends will be a key beneficiary from as well as an active participant in formulating. Many aspects of a future ADP for the cemetery will require the input and support from the Friends, given their own expertise and network of contacts with other groups and experts who will be critical to the success of the plan and the cemetery’s eventual restoration and future use.
12.5 Education and West Norwood Cemetery
There is little doubt about West Norwood Cemetery’s value as a rich source of information past and present, not just about those interred there but also the origins of the cemetery and the people involved in its conception, design and evolution. Likewise the cemetery is an exceptional resource in terms of learning about wildlife, geography and geology, social sciences and religious beliefs, including attitudes to the dead in past and modern cultures, and in a setting that is attractive and safe. Importantly, a key aim of the cemetery’s SoM is to realise its considerable educational potential and increase intellectual access to it, in particular by schools and other groups of young people.
West Norwood Cemetery is close to a number of schools, primary and secondary, plus nurseries and FE colleges, and there is a commitment by the Friends, staff and SoMC for it to become an educational resource for all and play its part in raising educational attainment.
Beyond schools, the cemetery offers a venue for learning and training in land management, built conservation and archival skills. In terms of adult education it offers in addition a venue for recreational courses such as painting, photography, tai chi, healthy walking, literary and cultural studies and local history.
96 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 Most of the current educational activity in the cemetery takes place under the auspices of the Friends of West Norwood Cemetery, which organises guided walks, publishes guidebooks and a regular newsletter, and encourages volunteers to become involved in practical maintenance work. The Friends maintain an excellent record of all past and future walks and events on their website, and publish various leaflets, guides and booklets as appropriate.
The cemetery also offers opportunities to reach to minority audiences, especially given its associations with different beliefs and the diversity of the people who are interred there. Educational opportunities also extend to special educational needs groups and the elderly, and to those for whom English is a second language. The cultural importance of the cemetery to London’s African-Caribbean population, which accounts for roughly half the bereavement services taking place each year, cannot be overstated, which means it has considerable potential in engaging with this group. Similarly, the Greek Enclosure is important in the history of the development of ethnic diversity in London, not just within the Greek community but in how many ethnic groups came to live and work in the city, and how their need to preserve their identity extended to burial and respect for the dead.
To deliver a comprehensive education plan for the cemetery, an Activities Coordinator Education Officer will appointed for a three-year period, along with a covered learning space in which groups, including schools, can meet. It is also recommend that a “learning centre” is set in the cemetery to bring together those with an interest in the site’s educational potential and develop partnerships essential to this project. The preparation and implementation of an Interpretation Plan will also be an important output of the new officer’s work.
Provision of a covered space for groups of up to thirty is essential to meeting the requirements of schools and other educational groups. The council has looked informally at options for this; the Lodge does not provide such a floorspace, but the Crematorium is considered to have potential and both the Small Chapel and Store Room could be refurbished to provide this facility.
Figure 65. The main entrance area at West Norwood Cemetery – a potential area for a visitor or education centre?
97 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 Alternatively a new ‘visitor centre’ could be incorporated into a upgraded and improved lodge at the cemetery’s entrance, which will alp deliver the HLF-funded Audience Development Plan and Interpretation Plan; this is a key element of the consultation currently being undertaken prior to the Stage 2 submission (Appendix 3).
Another key opportunity to maximise on the cemetery’s educational potential is a new dedicated website to increase intellectual access to the cemetery and its heritage. This would offer not only access to cemetery records for genealogists, facilitating public access to newly digitised records and GIS information, but also educational and historical material, events and educational activities, and information about the burial and cremation services provided by the council. The Activities Coordinator would have a major role in its design as would the Friends of West Norwood Cemetery, which already has a well-run and informative website.
12.6 Volunteering Opportunities
Because it is a safe and welcoming place, West Norwood Cemetery offers numerous opportunities for local residents as well as those from local or London-wide businesses to volunteer to help maintain and improve the cemetry through a range of practical activities.
12.6.1 Community Volunteering
The Friends of West Norwood Cemetery have been running a successful community volunteering programme in the cemetery, usually at weekends, which has focused on controlling and removing secondary scrub woodland growth, and preventing existing monuments from being overwhelmed by vegetation (Figure 63). Another aspect of the volunteering activities is to retain important views and sightlines, which has benefits for public safety as well as protecting historic vistas. The Friends advertise volunteering programme on their website (http://www.fownc.org/) and in their regular member’s newsletters.
Figure 66. Volunteers from the Friends of West Norwood Cemetery undertaking site conservation work.
98 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 12.6.2 Business Volunteering and ‘Community Payback’
Lambeth Council promotes all of its open spaces as potential locations for ‘business volunteering challenges’ where staff from a local business undertake activities that improve a site for community and environmental benefit. West Norwood Cemetery offers considerable potential to host business volunteer sessions, although any such activities are always carefully planned with the Friends and cemetery management in order to avoid inadvertent damage and focus effort on actions that protect heritage or benefit wildlife.
All activities are compatible with the cemetery’s management needs, supervised by staff with tools and safety equipment, provided with materials like plants, plus refreshments and personal care; risk assessments, safety inductions, debriefs and press releases/publicity are also included, and they can make full use of the various buildings on site.
West Norwood Cemetery has also been used as a base for regular sessions by the London Probation Service’s ‘Community Payback’ scheme, whereby low-risk clients provide time and services to the local community as reparation for minor crimes and offences. Supervised by probation staff, the Community Payback clients undertake regular weekend sessions through the cemetery, including gardening, cleaning and painting, fencing and planting.
Figure 67. Volunteers a London business undertaking scrub clearance in one of Lambeth’s open spaces – a key resource to help manage West Norwood Cemetery.
99 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 13. West Norwood Cemetery is Well Marketed
13.1 Objectives
To ensure it is being properly marketed to everybody the following objectives have been developed for West Norwood Cemetery:
13.1.1 It is well provided for with information and interpretative materials appropriate to the site and its character, emphasising its rich heritage, ecological and cultural value.
13.2 Current Status and Management Actions
A key objective for the cemetery is, as mentioned previously, an Audience Development Plan (ADP) which will be drawn up to describe opportunities to promote the cemetery to as many people (whether existing or new users) as possible in order to ensure all of its features are used to capacity for the right reasons. Whilst an ADP will be an obligatory condition should lottery funding be secured, this does not prevent one being produced prior to any application grant, and could form the basis of a more detailed version during any restoration project.
The ADP’s marketing strategy will include surveys and consultation, as well as newsletters, posters and leaflets, events, press coverage and signage, with the aim to:
1. Inform people about past and future developments in the cemetery; 2. Allow debate and comment on the cemetery’s use and management; 3. Include people in decision making particularly from marginalised groups; 4. Ensure those involved in decision making represent the community; 5. Develop new audiences for the cemetery particularly from groups not presently involved in its management or use; 6. Allow people to become involved in a wide range of events and activities; 7. Encourage further investment in the cemetery by its users, both financial and human, so that it is more sustainable and better protected in the future.
13.3 Printed Information – Leaflets, Booklets and Guides
A key element of marketing West Norwood Cemetery is production of information on its history, development, restoration and use, as well as its ecology and landscape features. This is important not only for targeted learning, but also for the opportunist visitor, whether local or from further afield.
The Friends of West Norwood Cemetery have been and continue to be instrumental in producing a diverse range of informative publications on the cemetery, including books and guides. These can be seen on their website at http://www.fownc.org/publications/, and the Friends are also a key repository for other books and publications on the cemetery compiled by other authors and organisations.
13.4 Lambeth Council Website Information
Lambeth Council operates a number of website pages for its parks and open spaces, which are used to inform and educate the public. Included in each section below are ‘hyperlinks’, which if clicked on when internet access is operating, takes the reader them to a specific page or they can be typed into an internet search engine.
100 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 13.4.1 West Norwood Cemetery Website Information
Lambeth Council has a dedicated web page for West Norwood Cemetery, which contains information about the cemetery and crematorium, its location and contact details, along with links to other information including a database of all reused graves in the cemetery. It also provides links to other web pages, and can be easily updated as required.
Complementing the council’s web page is the website operated by the Friends of West Norwood Cemetery, which contains excellent information on various news, events and projects, including on how to join the Friends to maximise community involvement.
13.4.2 Lambeth Council – Other Relevant Information
Lambeth Council also has pages providing the public with information on its bereavement services which are relevant to West Norwood Cemetery, such as one on a Guide to Burials, and another on a Guide to Cremations.
Lambeth Council’s website also contains various pages which are designed to help raise awareness of the current HLF-funded restoration programme for West Norwood Cemetery, and which included one used to advertise community consultation events to provide feedback on the restoration proposals.
13.5 Other Marketing Information
There are a number of opportunities to maximise awareness of West Norwood Cemetery. As well as leaflets or website information the principal actions to achieve this are as follows. a) Entrance Signs
Large signs are prominently displayed close to the main entrance giving the site name. b) Public Notice Boards
A large information and notice board installed inside the main entrance area next to the Lodge which contains a large clear map, a list of facilities, basic history and contact details for more information or to report problems. Additional notice boards are erected on the Lodge itself, including one that is used by the Friends of West Norwood Cemetery for publicising events or activities. c) Building and Facility Signage
All principal buildings in the cemetery will have signage near their entrances informing the public what it is called, what’s it for, how it is used as well as who to contact for information; such signage is easy to maintain and update. This is prominent on the Lodge, at the Crematorium, and is also installed on certain paths to give the name of that area or path, or to provide directions to facilities like the Crematorium. d) Interpretative Signage
The inclusion of interpretative signage in the cemetery, containing information on the history and development of key features such as monuments or wildlife areas, is essential to promote these and attract new audiences. Existing signage can be updated and replaced with new information as necessary.
101 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 e) Staff Presence
Staff working in the cemetery will regard welcoming the public and telling them what facilities are present or what’s happening as fundamental to their job. Staff will be regularly updated as to developments so these can be passed to the public and any feedback from the public conveyed back to improve the site’s management. f) Lambeth Service Centre
Information on West Norwood Cemetery will be available to staff in Lambeth Council’s Service Centre so enquires by phone or email about the cemetery, how to get there and what’s happening can be responded to. The council will regularly update information held by the Service Centre on the cemetery. g) Leaflets, Booklets and Event Posters
The Friends coordinate a wide range of events which take place in the cemetery each year; most of these are publicised in the cemetery and local area especially using public notice boards in the cemetery or through nearby shops and outlets. Some examples of these posters are included below. h) Web and Internet Based Applications
The development and use of internet tools or smartphone ‘apps’ to communicate the location, contents and attractiveness of places like a cemetery offers opportunities to promote it to new audiences, especially young adults, including information on how to find it by geo-mapping tools. One option for West Norwood Cemetery is to work with or commission designers to create these for the cemetery so that new and existing users are given useful, relevant information to make their experience better.
13.6 Public and Community Events
Although constrained to some extent by its location and functions as a place for the bereaved, West Norwood Cemetery still offers some opportunities to host various events which the public can attend, provided these are sensitively planned.
For example, history and heritage walks, as well as heritage or cultural celebrations can be delivered in certain areas of the cemetery provided they relate back to its use as a place of burial and remembrance, and involve communities that have loved ones there but wish to celebrate the lives of their loved ones. A schedule of suitable events will be a key aspect of any Audience Development Plan for the cemetery whether before or after any successful lottery-funded restoration programme is in place.
At the moment, they key driver is to secure maximum awareness of the ongoing restoration programme for West Norwood Cemetery, and for local residents and users to provide as much feedback as possible on the restoration proposals. Appendix 3 provided examples of the materials used at recent public consultation events, and these are supported by a dedicated series of web pages on the current HLF-funded restoration programme, plus a webpage used to advertise community consultation events.
102 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 14. West Norwood Cemetery is a Well Managed Site
14.1 Objectives
To ensure it is well managed, the following objectives are developed for West Norwood Cemetery:
14.1.1 It is managed to Green Flag Award standard, and its daily management and condition assessed against the Award criteria. 14.1.2 It is managed using a plan which is responsive, realistic and achievable, in partnership with its community and staff.
14.2 Current Status and Management Actions
This is a 10 year maintenance plan which sets out what assets must be conserved and promoted in West Norwood Cemetery to ensure resources are targeted to have maximum effect, and opportunities to improve its quality and use are implemented.
The management of West Norwood Cemetery follows the eight criteria of what is a ‘quality public open space’ as set out by the Green Flag scheme (www.greenflagaward.org.uk). This plan looks at each criterion in turn and sets out what is done, must be seen to be done, and what is planned, to reflect the aspirations of the community and the authority without coming into conflict with the cemetery’s unique character.
To be credible the management plan must be reviewed to see if actions were realistic or what prevented them being achieved. In the case of the cemetery, implementation and review is evident and can be demonstrated under scrutiny. The plan must be financially sound and based on good management practice, so that what is done, as well as what is proposed, is realistic, achievable and easy to manage, improve or add to as required.
The management of the cemetery and the management plan, must also conform to the Service Standards for Lambeth Landscapes, which are as follows:
Lambeth Landscapes – Service Standards
In terms of service priorities, Lambeth Landscapes:
a) Manages and maintains Lambeth’s open spaces on behalf, for the benefit of, and with the community through partnership and consultation. b) Recognises the importance of open spaces as community assets, and works with the community to secure resources which are then invested in them. c) Recognises the importance of universal access to Lambeth’s parks and open spaces, and ensures all communities have equal opportunities to use them. d) Recognises the importance of open spaces as places for activities that provide social, community, health and educational benefits for Lambeth’s communities. e) Recognises the historical, heritage and landscape character of Lambeth’s open spaces, and works in partnership with others to protect them. f) Wants Lambeth’s parks and open spaces to be places where people feel safe and secure, and will come back or encourage others to use them.
103 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 In addition, we aim to comply with the following baseline service standards:
• The removal of litter, management of waste and emptying of bins is in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act 1990: Code of Practice (Litter) • Seasonal flower displays, herbaceous plants and bulbs, shrubs, climbers and hedges and rose beds are maintained weed-free at all times, using manual cultivation practices • All paved areas are cleaned and swept in accordance with the requirements of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 • All fenced sites are opened by the time stated, and closed within 15 minutes of the publicised closing time.
14.3 Staffing and Management Structure – Present
West Norwood Cemetery is owned and managed by Lambeth Council, through its Lambeth Cemeteries and Crematoria Business Unit, which is part of the Environment Services Division. However, as of April 2016 the council brought the whole of its open spaces maintenance contracts ‘in house’ (i.e. managed directly by the council rather than by a commercial contractor). This includes cemeteries, which means all staff are now directly employed by the council.
The diagram below is an overview of the current management structure for the cemetery.
Head of Neighbourhoods West Norwood Cemetery Scheme of Management Strategic service management Committee (including Friends of West Norwood Cemetery) Scrutiny and delivery of Bereavement Services Cemetery and Crematoria Scheme of Management Team Manager (SoM) for cemetery; Operation of Responsibility for overall site audience development crematorium and and staff management, and community burial administrative commissioning of works, involvement liaison with stakeholders duties
Facilities Management Lambeth Landscapes Operations Manager Security; contracted repairs and maintenance of Management of grounds cemetery infrastructure and maintenance operations, assets including internments
Tree Officers Cemeteries Officers (Permanent & Seasonal) Managing of tree
maintenance contract Undertaking grounds maintenance operations,
including internments
Figure 68. Management and staff structure for West Norwood Cemetery
104 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 The Head of Neighbourhoods is in overall control of all of Lambeth’s cemeteries and crematoria, including West Norwood Cemetery. Their role is to direct strategy, address policy, secure and control budgets, answer to elected members, liaise with other managers, and attend meetings such as the SoMC or others as required.
The operational head of the cemetery is the Cemetery and Crematoria Manager who leads a team of staff who provide ‘bereavement services’ including operation of the crematorium and managing burials or funerals. The Manager is responsible for overall management of West Norwood Cemetery, liaison with the SoMC, attending meetings and working with the community such as the Friends to identify management issues for action or resolution.
The Cemetery Manager has overall responsibility for managing and maintaining standards relating to cleanliness, horticulture, waste, etc., as set out in the management plan, the maintenance schedules mentioned in previous chapters, and the council’s own service standards. The Cemetery Manager may also be involved in a range of capital and other special projects within the cemetery and is a direct point of contact with other officers or organisations in terms of site improvement, responding to elected councillor enquiries or those from the Police, landowners and members of the general public.
Working with the Cemetery and Crematoria Manager is the Operations Manager for Lambeth Landscapes, who is ultimately responsible for all staff on site undertaking grounds maintenance duties, as well as internments as necessary.
Once Stage 2 of the restoration plan is successfully reached, this current management and staffing structure will inevitably change. The HLF would require the appointment of a dedicated Project Manager to oversee and coordinate the overall restoration programme, and they would need to be inserted into the structure in Figure 68. This person would work alongside the Cemetery and Crematoria Manager, and whilst they would not have any day to day responsibilities for overseeing ongoing grounds maintenance activities, they would have an influence in how works are programmed to facilitate any site restoration works.
Likewise, appointment of a dedicated Activities Coordinator for West Norwood cemetery, funded through the HLF funded Stage 2 phase, would require them to be inserted into the management structure. Although they would not have any direct control over grounds maintenance on site, they would need to liaise with site staff and managers to enable various volunteering and educational events or activities to take place on site.
14.4 Grounds Maintenance Operations – Lambeth Landscapes
Figure 69 summarises the structure of Lambeth Landscapes, which is responsible for all grounds maintenance operations at West Norwood Cemetery, as well as the borough’s other public open spaces, cemeteries and recreation grounds. The cemetery’s maintenance is under the responsibility of Lambeth Landscapes’ Operations Manager for the North Area, who oversees a team of staff, including two Operations Supervisors, who are physically based at the cemetery or operate a mobile maintenance service that regularly visits the site.
The Operations Manager monitors service performance in terms of standards of cleanliness, horticulture and general repairs in the cemetery as set out in the specification and service standards, and undertakes rectifications where performance is below target. The Operations Manager and Supervisors meet with staff on an at-least daily frequency to discuss the work plans and priorities, and to address any maintenance or safety issues.
105 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025
Figure 69. Lambeth Landscapes staffing structure 2016-17
106 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 All grounds maintenance staff working at or responsible for West Norwood Cemetery undertake an annual appraisal with their line manager, where key performance issues are raised and assessed, along with any barriers to improved or continuous performance. This provides an opportunity for identifying training or recognising acquired skills, and the staff have taken full opportunity for additional training.
As part of its new structure, Lambeth Landscapes is also signed up to the Government’s apprenticeship scheme, whereby funding and other support is available to employers to take on new employees and provide them with the necessary training and ‘on the job’ supervision. The plan for 2016-17 is to start with two apprenticeships, one in parks and the other in cemeteries, and after these two post have been filled, the apprentices have qualified, and this initial phase has been evaluated, to then extend the scheme so as to take on more trainees across the whole service.
The advantage of apprenticeships is that it ensures that, as older staff retire or move on to other jobs, sufficient new staff are being recruited and in those fields where the service has a clear need for skilled employees. It also ensures the service is recruiting new employees at the local level, preferentially within Lambeth, and from local schools and colleges, which makes sure the council is delivering on its core commitment to supporting the local economy and helping its own residents find and stay in rewarding employment.
Lambeth Council is also operating a ‘co-operative council’ model in terms of managing its community assets, which involves greater participation of users, residents and other groups in management decisions for sites like West Norwood Cemetery. This ensures that future allocation of budgets and resources is more closely tied to the needs of users. Therefore, the above service structure is sufficiently flexible to allow community groups and stakeholders to ‘fit in’ and add value to how Lambeth Landscapes and its staff deliver the grounds maintenance specification. For example, the service is committed to supporting volunteers from the community or businesses in fields such as horticulture, wildlife habitat management and creation, and in improving access and safety in the cemetery, through providing skilled staff to supervise these activities as well as tools, materials and protective equipment.
Figure 70. View of monuments at dusk (London borough of Lambeth)
107 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 14.5 Management Monitoring and Review
Annual monitoring and review is a key part of any management plan, and independent monitoring of the council’s performance against the actions set out in this plan is of critical importance. The management plan sets out a schedule of tasks over ten years; this schedule is necessarily subject to alteration as circumstances and performance against it dictate. Monitoring and review will be key to driving the project forward and to ensuring the plan remains the key document in that progress.
At present, management and maintenance of the cemetery is scrutinised by the Cemetery Advisory Group and the Scheme of Management Committee (SoMC). However, it is proposed that two new bodies could be formed, namely an independent Management Plan Review Board and an independent Monuments Advisory Committee. Both would be essential to the monitoring and delivery of this plan.
The first meeting of a Review Board should agree a programme of works for the first year as set out in the plan. The final meeting of the Review Board for that year should review the council’s performance against that programme.
While monitoring and review will require updating of the plan, the agreed version of the plan represents the work necessary to put the cemetery into good order and ensure its long-term sustainability. Thus while details might be amended, the core policies, vision and scope of works should not.
It is also desirable to establish a formal cycle for the management plan, comprising:
• Adoption • Implementation of annual tasks and projects • Quarterly monitoring of implementation • Annual review of performance against management plan • Implementation revised and improved in line with review recommendations
Finally it will be necessary to look at rewriting the plan in Years 5 and 10, with the latter to begin the process again with a new 10-Year Plan.
108 West Norwood Cemetery Management Plan 2015 - 2025 West Norwood Cemetery
Management Plan
Appendix One
West Norwood Cemetery
Extending the Working Capacity – Issues and Actions
Lambeth Parks & Greenspaces 4th Floor Blue Star House 234-244 Stockwell Road 020 7926 9000 [email protected] West Norwood Cemetery: Extending Working Capacity
A. Background and Legal Issues
1. The Act of 1836
West Norwood Cemetery, originally the South Metropolitan Cemetery, was first established by a private Act of Parliament; “An Act for Establishing a Cemetery for the Interment of the Dead, Southward of the Metropolis, to be called ‘The South Metropolitan Cemetery’” 6 & 7 Will.IV.c.129, was passed on 18 July 1836. The Act empowered the South Metropolitan Cemetery Company to build a cemetery, to include both consecrated and unconsecrated ground, including a chapel, catacombs and vaults and to sell exclusive rights of burial ‘either in Perpetuity or for a limited Period, as may be agreed upon.’ The Act provided for those rights to be disposed of by will and testament as personal property, though not as realty. The consent of the owner of the exclusive rights is required for any subsequent interment in a particular plot and the Act also provides that the company may not sell or dispose of any land set aside for the burial of the dead. These central provisions were not altered by the South Metropolitan Cemetery Company Act, 1914.
2. The Compulsory Purchase Order of 1965 and the Lawn Conversion Policy
The Conveyance of 1965, by which the London Borough of Lambeth (Lambeth Council or the ‘council’) compulsorily purchased the cemetery from the South Metropolitan Cemetery Company, makes clear that the land was acquired ‘subject to the contractual obligations under Deeds of Grant in respect of exclusive rights of burial.’
In 1971 a lawn conversion policy was adopted by the council involving clearance of old memorials, although this was halted and reviewed after protests and a series of complaints to the Local Government Ombudsman in 1980. In the early 1990s the programme was recommenced and again was subject to protests from amenity societies over the demolition of listed monuments and the illegal reuse of graves. The required Faculty from the Diocese had not been sought for either. In August 1993, the council petitioned the Consistory Court for a Confirmatory Faculty in retrospect of the works carried out in the consecrated parts of the cemetery. At the same time the Archdeacon applied to the Court for a Restoration Order, requiring the council to restore the cemetery to the condition it was in immediately prior to the lawn conversion policy.
3. The 1994 Consistory Court Judgment
The Consistory Court’s judgment of Chancellor Gray, published in 1994, found that Lambeth Council had incorrectly presumed that it did not require a Faculty for works in the consecrated parts of the cemetery, and also incorrectly presumed that listed building consent was not required for the removal of memorials, listed or otherwise. Chancellor Gray concluded that ‘the whole of the cemetery is effectively within the listing.’ The reuse of graves was found to have been illegal, given that the exclusive rights of burial granted in perpetuity under the terms of the original Act had not been affected by the CPO.
The Restoration Order however was not granted except for four monuments. Lambeth Council’s petition for a scheme of management for the cemetery was granted, which included provisions for maintenance and repair of listed structures, participation of Historic England (known as ‘English Heritage’ at that time) and the amenity societies, and provision for a management committee representing the council and the Diocese (the Scheme of Management Committee). 1
4. The 1997 Confirmatory Faculty
One of the conditions set out in the Confirmatory Faculty granted by the Court in 1997 is that the council’s powers of management under section 10 of the Open Spaces Act 1906 were not to be exercised except in accordance with the Scheme of Management to be approved by the Court. The Scheme of Management was approved, in its original form, in February 1997 and required that, before a memorial could be erected on any grave in the consecrated part of the cemetery, permission must first be obtained from either (at that time) the Archdeacon’s Official, or by way of a Faculty from the Court.
5. The 2000 Consistory Court Judgment
In 2000 a number of petitions to erect memorials, or to add inscriptions to existing memorials, on reused graves were the subject of a further hearing in the Consistory Court. As a result, the council produced a full list of all reused graves and advertised details of all original grants of rights of burial via the internet, the national press and in a notice to the Federation of Family History Societies. The council agreed to defer further action in relation to its petition for a Faculty to reuse certain graves until such time as the objection by the Friends of West Norwood Cemetery is withdrawn. The Friends stated: “We plan to withdraw our objection once the Landscape Management Strategy [i.e. this Plan] for the cemetery is agreed by the Scheme of Management Committee and approved by the Chancellor, and Lambeth have made a binding undertaking to implement the Strategy.”
6. The London Local Authorities Act 2007
This Act enables London authorities to reuse and disturb human remains in private graves (but not public graves) in municipal cemeteries; where these are in consecrated ground a Faculty will be required. These powers are in place despite the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) not currently proceeding with piloting them and preparing good practice guidance.
The 1857 Act (s.25) introduced a requirement for a Government licence to disturb human remains, however at the City of London Cemetery it has been agreed by the MoJ that public graves in consecrated ground can be reused and remains disturbed via the granting of a faculty, irrespective of a Government licence, because consecrated ground is within Diocesan jurisdiction. At City of London, a faculty has been applied for and has been recommended for approval by the Diocesan Advisory Committee and is likely to be granted by the end of the summer. When reuse begins, the process will be overseen and recorded by an independent body (the Cemetery Research Group).
7. The Current Position
In 2008 the council sought further legal opinion on the cut-off date for preservation of monuments and the legal status of the cemetery, as well as clarification of the effect, if any, of the original 1836 Act on the London Local Authorities Act 2007. Having obtained Counsel’s opinion, the council’s formal position is as set out below; that position is subject to any subsequent rulings of the Consistory Court.
The inclusion of post-1948 monuments would duplicate provisions of s.74 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, and therefore the suggestion to bring forward the cut-off date to 1965 is a matter of administrative convenience rather than legal principle. 2
The current status of the cemetery is that of any other public cemetery provided and maintained by a burial authority, including the powers set out in the Local Authority Cemeteries Order 1977. Chancellor Gray’s judgment that that ownership of the memorials fell to the council had subsequently been disapproved in a Court of Arches judgment on another cemetery in 2007: ownership of the memorials remained within the original owner or that person’s successors.
Finally, in respect of recent legislation, the breadth of s.9(1) of the Greater London Council (General Powers) Act 1976 is sufficient to enable exclusive rights of burial in perpetuity, granted under the original 1836 Act, to be extinguished subject to the necessary procedures, without the need to repeal the 1836 Act. The same considerations apply to s.74(9) of the London Local Authorities Act 2007, which applies when a right of burial has been extinguished under the 1976 Act. However, s.74(9) does not affect the jurisdiction of the Consistory Court over consecrated land, and a Faculty would therefore still be required for the exercise of any s.74 powers in relation to the consecrated part of the Cemetery.
It should also be noted that the 1974 Local Authority Cemeteries Order established a 100 year maximum period for granting of exclusive rights of burial, a limit confirmed in the 1977 LACO. Consequently, since the early 1980s, Lambeth has granted rights of burial of only fifty years.
8. The Way Forward
The first step in placing the cemetery on a legal footing analogous to any other local authority cemetery is agreement of this plan by the Scheme of Management Committee and subsequent adoption of this plan, its actions and its resource implications by the council.
Once the plan is agreed, the council can petition the Consistory Court for the draft Management Plan to be substituted for the Scheme of Management. With the Committee’s agreement to the future management arrangements, and once they are in place, the Friends can be asked to remove their objection of 2000. At this point too, given the establishment of an agreed advisory/supervisory structure, the Committee can be dissolved.
The council can then apply for a Faculty for the extinguishment of private burial rights in consecrated ground, where appropriate, and for the reuse of public graves in consecrated ground. Provision for the owners of burial rights in plots subsequently found to have been unlawfully reused is made in the Order made by the Consistory Court in April 2000.
If the Committee were to not agree the plan, the council would have no option but to petition the Consistory Court to give a ruling on whether the plan did reasonably meet the requirements of the 1994 judgment and, if not, to give guidance on any shortfalls.
In the meantime, areas should be identified for reuse from a comparison of the records and evidence on site. A strategy for identifying areas for reuse should be formally agreed and include policies for prioritisation. The best policy would be to look first at areas where no monuments survive above ground (for example Grid Squares 1, 2, 3, 16 and 17), and within this category, then to identify public graves, where reuse is uncomplicated by rights of burial. Finally, areas of no monumentation occupied by public graves, in the unconsecrated portions of the Cemetery, would be uncomplicated by the need for a Faculty.
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There is no explicit prohibition on reuse of public graves in the 1836 Act. Thus, notwithstanding the 1836 Act, the council could seek a Faculty to allow reuse of public graves in the consecrated ground of the cemetery; this would potentially release a significant amount of new burial space.
The 1836 Act gave the Cemetery Company powers to grant exclusive rights of burial ‘either in Perpetuity or for a limited Period.’ Unfortunately, the company did not record in the registers the type of rights sold for any given burial space. However, the council’s position, based on legal opinion referred to above, is that s.9(1) of the 1976 Act is sufficient to enable rights conferred in perpetuity under the original Act to be extinguished, provided the necessary procedures are followed and provided that there is room for additional burial in the plot concerned.
B. Extending the Working Capacity of the Cemetery
The 2002 Integrated Land Management Study recommended ‘no new graves should be provided within West Norwood Cemetery either by reuse or by identifying virgin ground’. The report’s reasoning was that the cemetery plans were not to scale or of sufficient accuracy to identify precise location of graves; the cemetery registers are subject to errors and inaccuracies; and the original grave spaces (6’6” by 2’6”) are insufficient to accommodate a modern coffin. Instead the report flagged up the potential use of the Cemetery as an open amenity space and an ecological resource (ILMS 25-26).
The latter option has substantial cost implications in terms of maintenance. Conversion of burial space to amenity space, such as the Metropolitan Public Gardens Association conversion of inner city churchyards in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, invariably was based on large scale removal and relocation of memorials. Not only did this create the public amenity space, it also removed the maintenance burden of standing memorials.
It is inconceivable that appropriate maintenance of the registered landscape and the high number of listed and other historic structures could be achieved without income generated by an ongoing and viable burial service. This is the key to cemetery conservation across Europe and that is why Government has recognised the role of reuse in cemetery management. Reuse ‘can offer sustainable land use for the future, and the prospects of keeping burial facilities in good order and near to the communities they serve’ (Hansard 5.6.2007.).
Despite its recommendation, the ILMS did identify a number of options for future burial, such as:
• The possibility of Lambeth Council acquiring control of the St Mary at Hill Plot which it estimated to contain some 85 new grave spaces; • Relocating the water pipe and electricity cable in Grid Square 46 to release 42 new adult grave spaces and a number of children’s graves; • Exploration of Grid Squares 16 and 17, a large area of unpurchased or public graves, with few memorials. Subject to Faculty approval, this area could be probed to ascertain whether there is any grave space within the approximately 600 graves here. • The same could apply to other areas of public graves such as Grid Squares 31 and 45.
Local knowledge indicates that public grave memorials were removed within living memory in Grid Squares 10-13 and that a further high number of public graves may exist in Grid Squares 1-10.
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Despite the current suspension in providing new graves, other than plots for cremated remains, in West Norwood Cemetery, it remains Lambeth Council’s stated policy to maintain the cemetery for continuing burials and cremations.
West Norwood is the only council cemetery located within the borough, and although demand has fallen with the current moratorium on new graves, discussions with nearby funeral directors, and the vicar of St Luke’s Church about inquiries suggest there would be significant demand if new burials were permitted. The Crematorium remains a popular and prestigious location for services and sales of plots, roses and other memorials for cremated remains are good. At present however, numbers of both burials and cremations are declining, which seems fuelled by perception the cemetery is effectively closed.
It remains Diocesan policy, as stated in the Chancellor’s Guidance on Churchyards & Memorials, that ‘there should be an expectation that grave spaces will in due course be reused, and this is necessary to economise on land-use at a time when grave space is a diminishing resource.’ In addition, the Chancellor’s Guidance advises that ‘rather than planning for reuse on a grave-by- grave basis, there is merit in seeking to bring larger areas into-reuse as part of a coherent plan.’
It seems likely that in due course, the MoJ will draft guidelines on reuse and proceed with pilot studies; the council should actively pursue the opportunity to pilot reuse under the MoJ guidance.
It has already been noted that West Norwood Cemetery is the only burial space remaining in Lambeth. The council owns two cemeteries located in the London Borough of Wandsworth, but Streatham Cemetery is reaching capacity and Lambeth Cemetery has some space remaining. Norwood residents who use these facilities face a long journey, complicated by poor public transport links, and interviews have indicated that the loss of local provision, one often with family connections, is a continuing source of disappointment to the bereaved.
It is therefore entirely in accordance with Lambeth Council’s core values to consider ways in which to extend the working capacity of West Norwood Cemetery. In addition, such a measure would demonstrate a commitment to value for money in seeking to maximise the use of a resource on which there is considerable annual expenditure.
The reuse of graves as a policy option for London has been discussed since 1997 when the London Planning Advisory Committee (LPAC) recognised that space in existing cemeteries was becoming limited. The following section considers the feasibility of introducing reuse at West Norwood and considers the associated policy of grave reclamation. Each policy will be discussed to set out a strategic framework for extending the working capacity of the cemetery.
C. Grave Reuse
Reuse means taking back into use an entire grave by excavating the grave to the required depth and interring any recognisable remains – bone fragments or coffin furniture – just below the depth required for new interments. Current draft guidance indicates that no grave will be brought back into use unless a period of at least 75 years has passed since the last interment. Graves will not be reused until the intention to do so has been advertised and an attempt has been made to contact the family concerned.
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It is possible to envisage that reuse would take place in two broad contexts. First, reuse of an individual grave might take place using a process similar to grave reclamation (see below). This approach may be more appropriate in areas of historic sensitivity and encompass a programme of monument reuse. Second, it might be possible to reuse an entire section or ‘square.’ This measure may be more appropriate if the section contains a number of large common graves with no existing monumentation, and where a new grave numbering system might be superimposed. Depending on its location in the cemetery, section reuse might introduce the possibility of families being able to erect newer memorials.
Until 2007 no powers existed to permit reuse of graves in London unless the burial authority concerned applied for a licence to do so from the MoJ. However, powers to reuse private graves were set out in the 2007 London Local Authorities Act, s.74; there are currently no powers to reuse public graves, except for the 1857 Burial Act (s.25) under which a faculty can be applied for to disturb human remains in public graves in consecrated ground. At the time of writing, none of the London boroughs are using 2007 Act, although one borough – the City of London – is at an early stage of developing a reuse strategy.
The MoJ has announced its intention to establish a piloting framework for grave reuse, and during 2007 and 2008 held a series of meetings to develop practice guidance in this area. However, early in 2009 the Ministry announced its intention to defer policy development. As a consequence, debate and discussion has taken place on likely practice for grave reuse, but as yet no government guidelines are published. Policy statements from the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM) and the Diocese of Southwark do exist. It is important to note that discussion of the policy has acknowledged the need for a flexible approach, reflecting the diversity of burial authority practice. Reuse is likely to encompass some essential, baseline principles such as the requirement for a consultation exercise, and the need to be mindful of conservation, whilst at the same time recognising cemeteries are by no means uniform in their management or pattern of usage.
D. Grave Reclamation
Although a system of grave reuse has not been introduced in any London cemetery, the reclamation of grave spaces has become commonplace and indeed has been practiced at West Norwood Cemetery. The reclamation of grave space entails a local authority taking back into use the unused portion of a purchased grave or a grave where the burial right has been extinguished. Unused space identified in public graves can be used automatically once identified as no private rights exist. This practice does not entail disturbance of any remains lower in the grave. It is understood that in West Norwood, 1,000 grave spaces were reclaimed for burial during the 1970s.
It is suggested that the policy of reclamation should not be re-adopted in the cemetery. Reclamation is a short-term measure and creates a situation whereby graves that might otherwise be suitable for full reuse would become unavailable.
E. Strategy to Increase Working Capacity of West Norwood Cemetery
In order to increase the working capacity of West Norwood Cemetery, a programme of selective reuse should be introduced. It is suggested the ‘roadmap’ for reuse should have three discrete phases: agreement on areas where reuse is not allowed; identification of individual graves where reuse will be feasible; and implementation of a memorial protocol.
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1. Areas Not Suitable for Reuse
As with any historic cemetery, parts of West Norwood Cemetery have been compromised by incursion of modern materials and aesthetics: there are a number of locations in which ‘new’ memorials sit, often uncomfortably, alongside the old. However, a cemetery is not a static entity. Although the site’s initial layout may reflect particular aesthetic principles, ongoing use creates a dynamic in which these principles may be enhanced, challenged or undermined in their entirety. As it stands, West Norwood Cemetery comprises a valuable historic landscape because of the way that it demonstrates changes over time in bereavement practices and preferences.
Grave reuse is not incompatible with a desire to conserve historic cemetery landscapes. Indeed, a sound monument protocol would limit the aesthetic impact of new monuments and contribute to conservation of older monuments. However, it is suggested that in devising a strategy for reuse, a driving conservation principle should not be to identify sections where reuse may be allowed, but to highlight a very limited number of areas where reuse would not be allowed.
The Friends of West Norwood Cemetery have no objection to reuse in principle: any grave with an existing monument should be open to the possibility of reuse provided monument conservation is viewed as paramount. Helpfully, the Friends have suggested that grave reuse, once the legal basis is established and provided it is linked to monument conservation, should be allowed anywhere in the cemetery, apart from the Greek Section and St Mary at Hill Plot.
Reuse can have benefits for the monuments affected in terms of funding repairs. However, if the key aim of the management plan is to preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the cemetery, then areas where reuse should not be allowed are those which survived the clearances for lawn grave conversion most intact.
It is suggest the following could be identified as areas where reuse would not be allowed:
• Zone 1: south sides of Grid Squares 124 and 120 to rear of first line of memorials along road. • Zone 3: Grid Squares 82 and 83 adjacent to Lower Road. • Zone 6: Turn of the Century Area, Grid Squares 0, 81, 82 south of Lower Road, 93, 94, 104, and 105. • Zone 9: Greek Enclosure.
2. Identification of Graves Suitable for Reuse
There are two ways of approaching the task of identifying graves suitable for reuse; the fact that a programme of reuse has not before been undertaken by a burial authority means that no conclusions can be drawn on which is the better approach.
The first approach would be to begin by completing a data interrogation exercise to identify all the graves in which reuse would be feasible. Around half of the cemetery’s grave registers have been digitised. At West Norwood Cemetery, grave numbers were assigned as they were sold rather than each section having a series of sequential numbers; furthermore, purchases could be made in any section. Both these factors mean it is unlikely any entire cemetery section has records that are fully digitised. In addition, the programme of reclamation that took place in the 1970s created a new set of burial numbers that are not in any way linked to existing records.
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Undeniably, the information obtained would be invaluable in identifying locations where a particular group of graves are appropriate for reuse in terms of the year of last interment. However, given the ‘scattergun’ nature of grave sales, it is also possible that such groups might not exist.
A second approach would be to begin by targeting a particular location where grave reuse would be desirable. This may be an area of low historic importance; where monumentation might have already been subject to substantial clearance; or an area currently overgrown. The fact that information may not be available for each grave in the section would mean that a ‘grave-by-grave’ assessment would have to be made. Information on the grave would be drawn together from existing digitised or undigitised records or the list of reclaimed graves. Each grave would then be assessed in terms of factors such as date of last interment; depth of the grave; and the likelihood of full decomposition having taken place.
It is not unreasonable to consider that the council begins a data interrogation exercise at the same time as selecting a first section in which grave reuse might occur. The availability of fully digitised records would facilitate future grave reuse, particularly if allied with a process of transferring the records to a geographic mapping system.
3. Memorial Protocol
A key element in creation of a ‘pathway’ to grave reuse is establishment of a robust and sensitive memorial protocol. The protocol would aim to establish two sets of guidelines around reuse of existing memorials and erection of new memorials. West Norwood Cemetery contains hundreds of fine memorials, but resources for their repair are limited.
A policy of memorial reuse could mean that funding is made available for restoration of memorial in the event of the grave being reused. This kind of approach, if used sensitively, could facilitate a system of grave reuse in the cemetery’s historic core. For example, purchase of unused grave space could be linked to purchase of the related monument for preservation.
Monument reuse would be guided by a specially appointed sub-committee that would include a conservation officer and a specialist in masonry preservation. Where a grave has been deemed suitable for reuse, the committee would classify the monument. Four suggested categories are:
• High value: the monument be restored and remain in situ with no change allowed; • Medium value: monument restoration, with the addition of a plaque or new inscription as appropriate and agreed by the committee; • Medium-low value: monument may be moved elsewhere in the site; a headstone may be ‘turned’ and re-inscribed; • Low value: the monument is cleared in its entirety, with reusable sections retained.
As part of the assessment process, each monument would be fully recorded, including taking a digital photograph; this information should be linked to the burial record.
Where the monuments have medium or high value, they would be leased for a specified period to the owner of the grave’s new burial rights; the cost of the lease would reflect the cost of monument restoration.
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In addition, the protocol would include guidelines for erection of new memorials. Where grave reuse has taken place in an area of the cemetery with a particular prevailing aesthetic, it is appropriate to create guidelines to ensure that new memorials are ‘in keeping’ with that aesthetic.
The Friends have suggested a requirement for new monuments be in accord with the Diocesan churchyard regulations. Essential elements to include in the guidelines would include the scale of the new memorial and permissible materials.
4. Cemetery Records
The cemetery office retains a complete set of Grave Plans, Burial Registers and Grave Registers. At the time of writing a data entry exercise, commissioned by the council, is proceeding by inputting information contained in the Grave Registers and linking this to a GIS system on which the Grave Plans have been overlaid on an Ordnance Survey base map.
The digitisation project uses a dedicated software package (BACAS) and is a valuable exercise which should facilitate management decisions, in particular over reclamation and reuse, and potentially a useful source for public information and education.
Because of the cemetery’s historical development, whereby any plot could be chosen for an interment, there is no logical sequence within the cemetery grid squares; each square can thus contain any grave from no.1 to no.46,000. Until the project is complete there will be no way to interrogate the system on an area or squares basis.
However, once the project is complete, it should form a sound basis for identifying unused space or space which can be reused. It can be interrogated to identify graves in which the last interment was over 75 years ago and the number of burials in each grave. This information can be shown in map form and is compatible with the council’s GIS software, which means further layers of information, such as landscape, or ground conditions can be added. There should be some minor adjustment to the database so that, for example, it can be interrogated by date of interment.
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West Norwood Cemetery
Management Plan
Appendix Two
West Norwood Cemetery Maintenance Specification
Lambeth Parks & Greenspaces 4th Floor Blue Star House 234-244 Stockwell Road 020 7926 9000 [email protected] West Norwood Cemetery - Management Action Plan and Milestones
A. West Norwood Cemetery – Key Milestones by Date and Cost
Year Milestone Cost (£) Year 1 Establish Management Plan Review Board (MPRB), to meet quarterly. With MPRB, agree composition and terms of reference for, and establish, Monuments Advisory Committee (MAC). Appoint and retain part-time project officer and admin support for £40,000 MPRB Ascertain curtilage-listed status or otherwise of the Cemetery’s stock of buildings and monuments. If confirmed, begin negotiations with Conservation Officer over schedule of permitted works. MAC to establish operational terms for monument safety and repair programme – consents, method statements, notices, etc. MAC and Cemetery Manager to draw up guidelines for a comprehensive testing programme for all standing memorials, as per Government guidance on good practice. Commission completion of monument condition survey 2004 £25,000 MAC to draw up outline schedule of monument repairs for 10-year rolling programme, based on Management Plan, and existing schedules, (ILMS 2002, SoMC, Stonewest), including detailed priority list for Year 1. Commission completion of digitisation of records and plans, £90,000 including identification of unused burial space in purchased graves, purchased graves without monuments and areas of public graves for reclamation; and age of purchased graves for possible re-use. Confirm ownership of St Mary at Hill plot and begin negotiations over use of virgin burial plots by LBL In discussion with MPRB, commission feasibility study on preferred £25,000 option for Catacombs, including architect, QS, structural engineer, reinterment specialist and business assessment. Commission design for preferred option for Catacombs £15,000 Prepare and submit applications for all statutory consents £5000 Commission updated tree survey using ILMS base-information £5000 Commission vegetation and tree management plan including ten- year plan of scrub and self-sown tree clearance, re-seeding and £5000 tree-planting. 20,000 Begin implementation of tree and vegetation management plan Review performance of grounds maintenance team. Investigate advantages of contracting out grounds maintenance to Veolia Environmental. Draw up revised mowing specification to include intensive early- season strimming and removal of arisings. Draw up cyclical maintenance regime to include hard landscape and built elements (n.b. given current negotiations over possible contracting-out, this table does not include estimates for enhanced maintenance) £5000 Staff training Open negotiations with Greek Trust over future public use of Greek Chapel. Commission costed feasibility study for Greek Chapel’s conversion £10,000 to public use, including architect, QS and M&E engineer £5000 Prepare and submit applications for all statutory consents Open negotiations with tenant of Lodge Commission design for conversion of Lodge to combine visitor facilities and Cemetery office £10,000 Prepare and submit planning application for lodge works £5000 Appoint dedicated monument safety and repair team, either £150,000 internally or contracted out. Begin rolling programme of monument works in coordination with tree and vegetation management Remove skips and bays, install 12 no. new litter bins £6,000 Implement new waste collection programme £25,000 Install automatic counters to pedestrian and vehicular gates; data to be collated by Cemetery Manager £3000 Implement existing planning permission for refurbishment of Depot. £120,000 Commission design for conversion of Greek Chapel £15,000 Repairs to listed built infrastructure, walls, railings, gates £250,000 Seek grants and other financial contributions towards cost of Catacombs £824,000 Total Year 2 Implement Phase One works to Catacombs – below ground conservation and refurbishment £1,000,000 Implement Phase Two works to Catacombs. £2,000,000 Relocate tenant of first floor of Lodge Monument team £150,00 Tree and vegetation management programme £20,000 Staff training £5000 Part-time project officer and admin support £40,000 New furniture to include additional road and path signage, bollards, £50,000 replacement litter bins etc. £,3,265,000 Total Year 3 Monuments programme £130,000 Tree and vegetation management programme £20,000 Staff training £5000 With completion of digitised mapping, Board to investigate feasibility of re-use in light of current position of MoJ, ICCM etc. MAC to draw up protocol for monuments affected by reuse; assess monuments affected and draw up specifications for treatment. Minor paths repair, including paths in Zone 6, the Turn of the £50,000 Century Area and steps from Narrow Road to Crematorium in Zone 7. Review amend and implement Phase II of Memorial Garden £300,000 With completion of negotiations with St Mary at Hill, recommence burials in virgin spaces. Part-time project officer and admin support £40,000 Total £545,000 Year 4 Monuments programme £130,000 Tree and vegetation management programme £20,000 Staff training £5000 Implement conversion of Greek Chapel £300,000 Investigate feasibility of re-use in light of current position of MoJ, ICCM etc. MAC to draw up monument protocol for reuse Part-time project officer and admin support £40,000 Commission design for adaptation of Crematorium Small Chapel or £10,000 Storage Room to form a new education room Total £505,000 Year 5 Monuments programme £130,000 Tree and vegetation management programme £20,000 Staff training £5000 Part-time project officer and admin support £40,000 Implement Crematorium works £100,000 Implement Lodge works £200,000 Total £,495,000 Year 6 Monuments programme £130,000 2 additional full-time grounds maintenance operatives to maintain £40,000 scrub-cleared areas Staff training £5000 Appoint full-time Community Education Officer (3 years) £30,000 CEO to produce Interpretation Plan; budget for implementation £100,000 Commission new dedicated website £100,000 Part-time project officer and admin support £40,000 MPRB to consider need for further traffic management measures; if £10,000 so, commission traffic and movement study £455,000 Total Year 7 Monuments programme £130,000 2 additional full-time grounds maintenance operatives to maintain £40,000 scrub-cleared areas Staff training £5000 Community Education Officer £30,000 Part-time project officer and admin support £40,000 Commission new landscape design for forecourt £10,000 Total £255,000 Year 8 Monuments programme £130,000 2 additional full-time grounds maintenance operatives to maintain £40,000 scrub-cleared areas Staff training £5000 With completion of major construction works, resurface main £450,000 vehicular route in tar spray and chip and replace highway kerbing with Marshall’s conservation kerbs or similar Implement new design for forecourt £75,000 Community Education Officer £30,000 Part-time project officer and admin support £40,000 Total £770,000 Year 9 Monuments programme £130,000 2 additional full-time grounds maintenance operatives to maintain £40,000 scrub-cleared areas Staff training £5000 Part-time project officer and admin support £40,000 Total £215,000 Year Monuments programme £130,000 10 2 additional full-time grounds maintenance operatives to maintain £40,000 scrub-cleared areas Staff training £5000 Part-time project officer and admin support £40,000 Total £215,000 Grand £7,544,000 total
B. West Norwood Cemetery Maintenance Action Plan
Zone 1. Main Entrance.
Character • Opening vista from the Tite arch to the Gilbart memorial and beyond, lined with imposing monuments and mausolea, backed to the north by original boundary railings and later but imposing limes, is a key part of the historic landscape character. • Construction of West Norwood Library in 1967 impinged on the main west front of the lodge; to reduce this impact a substantial laurel hedge has grown up but this impacts on the Lodge’s setting. • Burial land east of Lodge was an area of large scale clearances and as a result is characterised by a mixture of occasional older monuments, a scattering of lawn graves, including one War Graves Commission headstone, cremated remains memorials by the road side and dotted memorial trees. Significance - High • Core area of Tite landscape design characterised by listed entrance arch and collection of listed monuments. Key vista from the arch along the road with line of monuments, Tite boundary railings and boundary lime trees, and key point for arrival of visitors. Forecourt contains a war memorial and memorial to members of the Lambeth Horticultural Society, which are both significant.
Comments Area of critical importance to the cemetery both in conservation and operational terms. It is well maintained but has a number of issues, including: • Impact of adjacent Library which is presently closed • Ad hoc parking • Some uncoordinated signage
Maintenance Action Points Short Term • Remove old or poor quality signage from forecourt and replace with permanent good quality signage, and in a consistent heritage style • Monitor and comment on reuse and development of Library site
Medium Term • Review boundary shrub and hedge planting, and replace with species and form more in keeping with the area and site’s heritage character
Long Term • Review parking arrangements and develop an improvement plan if required
Zone 2. St Luke’s Entrance.
Character • St Luke’s gates and railings retain much of their landscape and architectural quality and are an important part of Tite’s landscape concept, being the second of his three entrance points. • Prominent length of original boundary wall to south. • Important views out to St. Luke’s Church tower. • Predominance of mature limes and horse chestnut and other deciduous trees evoke the park-like quality of the original Tite plan. • Area to east of Library largely cleared for lawn conversion: now a scattering of monuments of mixed age in open grassland. A few surviving early monuments, interspersed with memorial trees and grave stones, mainly along Church Road, from the 1980s. • Derelict West Norwood Library prominent in views around this area. • Church Road materials, concrete paviors and concrete kerbs, detract from its historic character. Significance - High • Core area of Tite landscape design; foreground in views from Main Entrance area. Although compromised by the Library, this area contains high quality landscape associated with Church Road, mature deciduous trees, original boundary walls and railings and gates at St Luke’s entrance; monumentation is of less significance.
Comments Key part of cemetery landscape but suffered from memorial clearances; scattered mixture of headstones and open grass. Well maintained but has a number of issues: • Impact of adjacent Library • Poor quality of hard-landscape elements • Loss of historic memorials • A number of poorly erected modern memorials • Inappropriate new tree planting • Condition of the gates, which have areas of corrosion and missing elements.
Maintenance Action Points
Short Term • Repair St Luke’s gate and railings • Monitor and comment on reuse and development of Library site.
Medium Term • If necessary, consider potential for opening St Luke’s entrance gates to assist in circulation of additional traffic as part of review of traffic management.
Long Term • Remove concrete pavior surfacing and replace with tar spray and chip finish. • Replace kerbstones with Marshalls conservation kerbs or similar
Zone 3. Northern Boundary.
Character • Zone stretches the entire length of Robson Road boundary which comprises length of original railings at west and, for the most part eastward a substantial brick-built wall with stone copings; the wall is supported in places by steel bracing. At eastern end, earth-moving, believed to be associated with construction of cemetery, has resulted in a marked drop from level of graves to base of perimeter wall; the top of this ditch is characterised by a linear planting of mature lime trees. • Burial land incorporates a number of different characters. At western end there are densely packed memorials which survived clearances, although subject to cramming and burial on paths. Part of area used to dump trimmings from scrub clearance with heavy rutting from vehicles. • Further east, extensive clearance has left occasional older memorials and some modern lawn graves. Eastern end characterised by a defined area of small memorials in variety of materials on plots for burial of cremated remains. As ground rises towards east, good views west to St Luke’s church tower and south to Crematorium and Greek Chapel. Area contains new Garden of Remembrance, opened in 2008. Depot in the north east corner in poor condition and detracts from historic landscape character and setting of new Garden. Significance - High • Railings and brick wall boundary to Robson Road form important part of surviving historic fabric. At eastern end is uncleared collection of monuments displaying the original density of monuments. Area of cremated remains is one of few active parts of cemetery in terms of burial service, while Memorial Garden is a popular new option for the bereaved. Mature limes and scattered specimen trees are an important part of the designed landscape.
Comments • Areas of bramble and sycamore regeneration developing • Urgent need to rationalise development of cremated remains memorials • Cemetery rubbish (fragments of monuments and old memorial benches) present on the northern edge of area. • Depot is unsatisfactory both in operational and landscape terms.
Maintenance Action Points Short Term • Refurbish Depot • Vegetation management - address spread of scrub and sycamore regeneration • Clearance of rubbish.
Medium Term • Review, amend and, if agreed, implement Phase 2 of Rose Garden proposal
Long Term • Repair and resurface Lower Road in tar spray and chip
Zone 4 Eastern Boundary
Character • In 19th Century a continuous belt of perimeter trees present along entire eastern boundary. In terms of historic character however, it is now weakest boundary in the cemetery, having been rebuilt in at least three different styles and dominated by rear of factories and workshops on the Park Hall Trading Estate. • Important view through railings to Sydenham Woods. • Evidence of level changes. • Monuments subject to clearance with few surviving older memorials and scattered lawn graves. Appears to have been area favoured for public graves; clearance of their modest memorials left large areas of open grassland. South-east corner entirely cleared of monuments - plantation of young trees as well as one pre-cemetery oak. • Northern half unconsecrated, southern half consecrated ground. Northern more heavily treed including one pre-cemetery oak and horse chestnuts dating from late nineteenth century, as well as willow and poplar due to damp conditions, and number of semi-mature London Planes. Willow and poplar do not contribute to historic character of designed landscape but have ecological value. • Nature conservation area is significant but unclear whether fed by faulty drainage or spring. Maybe possible to relocate as part of ongoing conservation management. • St Mary at Hill Path character compromised by narrowing. Significance - Medium • Although integral part of original cemetery design and registered landscape, area has lost more of its significance than others. Historically dominated by non- conformist and public burials. Boundary fabric and setting significantly compromised, and evidence levels altered. Clearances left large areas of open ground with only scattered older monuments; St Mary at Hill path lost original dimensions/character.
Comments • Green-waste bays at junction with road to Crematorium are intrusive • Informal storage of materials adjacent to path to Depot is inappropriate • Highway kerbs on St Mary at Hill path are inappropriate in scale
Maintenance Action Points Short Term • Remove or enclose materials stored by Depot • Remove greenwaste bays • Monitor nature conservation area and review management.
Medium Term • Investigate potential for habitat creation capitalizing on native trees.
Long Term • Replace highway kerbstones on St Mary at Hill Path with small-scale Marshalls conservation kerbs or similar. • Resurface path in tar spray and chip.
Zone 5 Southern Boundary
Character • Dominated by boundary wall and railings, including piers of original third entrance. In 1870s, boundary was lined with continuous row of deciduous trees. • Many parts of area subject to selective clearance; now characterised by mix of scattered lawn graves and older monuments, together with memorial trees and shrubs. Grass mown but kept long, except for verge which is on medium cut. • Steep Hill has important designed views to St Luke’s Church. • Remnants of picturesque mid-nineteenth century planting which was designed to frame these views, such as Yew and Austrian Pine. Significance - High • Listed boundary wall and railings particularly prominent. Although area has lost good deal of significant planting and monumentation, remains key part of original design, in particular views from carriage drive.
Comments • Some areas of Ivy on boundary wall still remain. • Dead horse chestnut is inappropriate in this location. • Number of dwarf conifers and other inappropriate trees scattered through this area.
Maintenance Action Points Short Term • Remove dead Horse Chestnut • Complete removal of Ivy from boundary wall
Medium Term
Long Term • Resurface Steep Hill in tar spray and chip.
Zone 6 Turn of the Century Area
Character • Well-preserved 19th and 20th Century monumentation largely unaffected by lawn conversion clearances. • Rising ground affords good views south east to St Luke’s Church and west to tombs in Entrance Area near Lodge. • Notable network of late C19 footpaths marked by iron bollards, mostly metalled and edged gives distinctive character to area. • Planting light with notable hollies, ash, holm oak and lime and occasional 20th Century specimen conifer. Significance - High • Area of densely massed good quality memorials, largely unaffected by clearances. Path network, although dating only from end of 19th Century, is important and positive layer in historic design.
Comments • Paths falling into disrepair. • Given level of obstruction, area has high potential for long grass maintenance and nature conservation management.
Maintenance Action Points Short Term • Repair and resurface minor path network in tar spray and chip.
Medium Term • Develop nature conservation value through long grass management.
Long Term • Repair and resurface Narrow Road in tar spray and chip.
Zone 7 The Bailey Tombs Area
Character • Upper western area dominated by large self-sown clump of woodland, a notable detractor in Cemetery landscape as a whole. • Clump appears to contain a number of ruinous but imposing monuments, including Bailey tombs and at least one Imperial War Graves Commission headstone. Clump is of low ecological interest, comprising self-sown sycamore, elm suckers and ivy. • Early grass path, now named Sopwith Path, can be traced from bollard on Crematorium Road, around south and east sides of clump. • Evidence of clearance but lower eastern area still contains number of good quality monuments as well as scattered later insertions. Impact of clearance on historic character mitigated by topography and mature planting. • Below clump mown areas contain some notable trees, especially a beautiful holm oak. Weeping Willow is less historically significant but has landscape value. • Slopes allow for some of best views in cemetery, east up slope and in reverse, west to entrance and associated mausolea, and to St Luke’s. Old library intrusive in views westward. From Narrow Road notable views over open area towards St Luke’s Church. Framed by mature horse chestnut, potentially obscured by poor quality young copper beech.
Significance - High • Area prominent in views of west-facing slopes from entrance. Ecological value of secondary woodland however is not considered significant.
Comments • Secondary woodland obscures designed views, damaging the built structure of monuments and of little wildlife benefit. • Narrow Road leads to series of steps which take pedestrians up to Crematorium; steps are crude concrete slabs and should be upgraded.
Maintenance Action Points Short Term • Restore Sopwith Path through vegetation clearance, mowing regime and installation of sign. • Begin clearance of self-sown sycamore and other weed trees.
Medium Term • As part of minor path repairs, replace concrete slab steps connecting east end of Narrow Road to Crematorium with steps of appropriate design in natural stone. • Complete clearance of secondary woodland clump.
Long Term • Repair and resurface Narrow Road in tar spray and chip. • Reinstate grassland management.
Zone 8 The Non-Conformist Area
Character • Historically largely open area with formal roadside tree planting on Lower Road, of which one or two limes survive. Views of Greek Enclosure being lost to tree and scrub growth. • Sections of early grass paths overgrown or been used for burials. Line of path is clear as runs southward but becomes obscured as turns west on slopes. Area also contains route of former carriage drive, now known as Mappin Path. • Modern shrub planting immediately opposite entrance to Crematorium, no doubt intended to enhance view as mourners emerge, is blocking views northwards Significance - High • Area significant in its own right as location of number of notable headstones and monuments; also significant as setting of Greek Enclosure and as foreground in long northward views from Crematorium towards the City. Area identified for its ancient woodland species indicators and has notable concentration of spring-blossoming hawthorn. A number of notable trees below cemetery including oak and a multi- stemmed bay on a tomb, and access remains through strimmed areas between developing scrub.
Comments • Tree growth in this area obscuring views northward from Crematorium • Between P Path and Greek Enclosure secondary woodland is developing and is blocking views. • Secondary tree growth obscuring northern aspect of Greek Enclosure • Although strimming does maintain some access routes and areas of long grass, scrubby clumps are enveloping memorials and grassland.
Maintenance Action Points Short Term • Restore line of the grass path. • Begin clearance of self-sown sycamore and other weed trees.
Medium Term • Restore views of St Paul’s and City from Crematorium terrace. • Complete clearance of secondary tree and scrub growth.
Long Term • Reinstate grassland management.
Zone 9 Greek Enclosure
Character • Highly elaborate dwarf walls and iron railings enclose unique collection of high quality mausolea and tombs dating from 1842, many of them listed. • The dominant building is the Doric mortuary chapel, dedicated to St Stephen, also now known as the Greek Chapel. • Boundary is planted with now overgrown Laurel hedging. • As well as its contribution to the character of Greek Enclosure, Chapel is important as a feature in views from south, framed by the mature horse chestnuts around the enclosure. Significance - High • Boundary walls and railings, Greek Chapel and many individual mausolea and tombs are listed. Enclosure is of high significance architecturally and historically, and, although not part of the original Tite layout, architectural quality makes it a key element in the landscape. • Mortuary Chapel is most significant historic building in cemetery.
Comments • Laurel hedge overgrown. • Basic mowing maintenance is not addressing establishment of self-sown sycamore and ivy which is damaging monuments. • Use of Greek Chapel for services and funerals declining. Feasibility study of a new use for Chapel is required, to include repair of significant fabric and, if agreed, conversion to public use.
Maintenance Action Points Short Term • Hard prune laurel and maintain. • Improve mowing regime to include removal of arisings • Begin systematic repair and maintenance of monuments
Medium Term • Conversion of the Chapel to public use • Thin self-sown sycamore and ash around perimeter to improve visibility
Long Term • In agreement with the Greek Trust, bring Enclosure into whole-Cemetery management and maintenance.
Zone 10 Crematorium and Chapel
Character • Crematorium built c1955 on site of original Dissenters’ Chapel, in key location in designed landscape. Intended to be widely seen and command wide views northwards from ridge which dominates cemetery - now largely hidden. • Designed view is now largely obscured but was intended to command a view to St. Paul’s and towers of City, while foreground includes south façade of Greek Chapel. Views to Crematorium from entrance and west have dwindled with tree growth. Glimpses of chimney serve to emphasise dramatic topography of site; small number of notable tombs survive within dwarf wall that forms curtilage of building • The soft landscape is well-maintained but characterised by 1960s and later planting, including specimen cypress and silver birch, hawthorn and cherry, but also two good lime trees, while notable C19 Yew survives on south lawn near Cloister Garden.
Significance – High • Despite low architectural and historic significance of Crematorium itself, its situation, views and monuments around it of great importance in historic landscape. Also the focus of most visits to cemetery and most visitors’ principal experience of cemetery.
Comments • On the north side, growth in Zone 8, and group of flowering shrubs immediately opposite entrance, have reduced designed views over falling ground to horizon of the City towers, including St Paul’s. • Fine low-branching oak near north-east corner frames view down to Greek Chapel. • Near eastern corner, unplanned but good view to Crystal Palace tower, including some fine monuments in foreground.
Maintenance Action Points Short Term • Improve setting of Crematorium with shrub planting within the dwarf wall. • Remove shrubs directly opposite entrance to open view northwards. • Remove small trees beginning to obscure view to Greek Chapel
Medium Term • Monitor traffic and circulation
Long Term • Repair and resurface roads around building
Zone 11 The Catacombs
Character • Loss of Anglican Chapel from cemetery skyline changed the landscape’s historic character significantly; the 1960s Rose Garden was undistinguished in design terms or its contribution to the historic landscape. • A number of prestigious monuments immediately west on what would have been open lawn in front of chapel now overgrown with scrub woodland. Significance - High • Catacombs listed Grade II; despite loss of Anglican Chapel and planned removal of Rose Garden, site is key element in designed landscape and its circulation system. • No significant planting within this zone.
Comments • 5-year temporary scaffold roof protects Catacombs; humidity in Catacombs is being measured to assess effectiveness of this measure. • Decision on preferred option for future of building urgently required.
Maintenance Action Points Short Term • Subject to preferred option for future of Catacombs
Medium Term • Subject to preferred option for future of Catacombs
Long Term • After conservation and building work complete, reinstate road as part of core circulation route in the cemetery.
Zone 12. Doulton’s Path Area
Character • Dominated by secondary woodland which has colonised steep eastern slopes of cemetery; historically this east-facing slope was open grassland. • Doulton Path established early in cemetery’s development, and characterised by some notable monuments in its front row. • Slopes above and below have surrendered to largely impenetrable mass of self- sown trees, brambles, ivy, nettles and other scrub, which significantly erodes the area’s historic character; within this area a significant number of monuments are currently deteriorating and inaccessible for inspection. • East of Doulton Path is St Mary at Hill plot; no surviving boundary structures evident but characterised by remnants of distinctive planting, the most notable of which is the Araucaria or Monkey Puzzles, complemented at shrub level by Rhododendron, Euonymus and other ornamental shrubs. Almost impenetrable and its ornamental planting is being swamped by secondary growth. Significance - High • Key part of Cemetery’s historic design; represents a substantial area of historic landscape design and monumentation at significant risk. Assessment of memorials is difficult but area close to principal chapel appears to contain number of architecturally significant structures such as the Dodd mausoleum. Secondary woodland has little wildlife value.
Comments • Current management not sustainable in terms of monuments being damaged. Secondary woodland of little local or strategic ecological significance. If decision is made to maintain current, architectural and historic interest of area will be lost. More preferable is a regular regime of scrub clearance, maintenance and monument repair which will reinstate it as a historic landscape and area of potential future burials.
Maintenance Action Points Short Term • Begin systematic clearance of scrub and self-sown trees as part of a winter works programme. • Assess memorials revealed for inclusion in monuments repair programme.
Medium Term • Complete clearance of secondary woodland.
Long Term • Reinstate grassland management.
Zone 13 The Ship Path Area
Character • Two distinct landscape characters: self-sown woodland on ridge and western slope, and open mown ground on more level ground below. • Ship Path has lost original connection to site of centre of Anglican Chapel. Path established early in cemetery’s history, recorded on 1870 OS map. Early illustration of cemetery suggests Ship Path was originally gravelled. • Magnificent views north and west, now much narrowed by tree growth. • Beeton Path is remnant of road which was part of original carriage drive network laid out by Tite, probably dug up early C20; follows engineered terrace of former road along north-south contour of ridge above row of pre-cemetery hedgerow oaks and would have afforded series of designed views westwards. Lined with fine monuments including Tredwell tomb which retains original individual planting of four yews. • Lower part of Ship Path, fine views west and north west framed by specimen trees, including three notable Deodar cedars. Path lined with notable monuments; its junction with Steep Hill marked by iron bollard. • Northern boundary of Zone formed by Crematorium Road, marked as it climbs ridge by row of three fine London Planes as it ascends, as well as other notable trees, e.g. open-grown oak set further back. • Although there is adequate grass mowing around edges, most of slope has been allowed to develop as secondary woodland, within which some notable planted trees, but in danger of being swamped. As with Zone 12 maintenance withdrawn from sloping land on safety grounds; temporary fencing to demarcate dangerous area has exacerbated line of secondary woodland.
Significance - High • Prominent slope forming backdrop to views around lower part of cemetery; contains some prestigious monuments, many listed, and key elements of ornamental layout and circulation. Many specimen trees as well as majority of the pre-cemetery trees, which have highest ecological significance among cemetery’s tree stock.
Comments • As with Zone 12 strategic decision on future of area required, and same arguments apply. Ad hoc clearance will be of little value if not incorporated in long-term vegetation and monument maintenance regime; secondary woodland is of little local or strategic ecological significance.
Maintenance Action Points Short Term • Remove temporary fencing, and begin systematic clearance of scrub and self-sown trees as part of a winter work programme. • Assess memorials revealed for inclusion in the monuments repair programme
Medium Term • Complete removal of secondary woodland.
Long Term • Reinstate grassland management.
LAMBETH GROUNDS MAINTENANCE SPECIFICATION
Grounds Maintenance Specification April 2019-March 2020
Contents
Introduction and Performance Management ...... 2 Section 1 – Grass Management ...... 4 Section 2 – Waste Management ...... 7 Section 3 – Herbaceous Perennials ...... 10 Section 4 – Shrub and Hedge Maintenance ...... 11 Section 5 – Rose Beds ...... 13 Section 6 – Ornamental Gardens ...... 14 Section 7 – Naturalised Areas ...... 15 Section 8 – Sapling and Minor Tree Maintenance ...... 17 Section 9 – Sports Facilities...... 18 Section 10 – Children’s Play Areas ...... 20 Section 11 – Paddling Pools ...... 22 Section 12 – Security ...... 23 Section 13 – Furniture and Fittings ...... 24 Section 14 – Graffiti Removal ...... 25 Section 15 – Hardstandings, Paths and Fence line Maintenance ...... 26 Section 16 – Composting ...... 27 Section 17 – Public Toilets ...... 28 Section 18 – Repairs and Maintenance ...... 29 Appendix 1 – Sites Covered by this Specification and Litter Zoning ...... 30
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Introduction This specification refers to grounds maintenance operations at the parks, open spaces and cemeteries listed in Appendix 1. Work will be undertaken by Lambeth Landscapes, part of Lambeth’s Environment and Streetscene Division.
Questions or concerns over grounds maintenance operations within Lambeth’s parks and open spaces should be directed to:
Web: lambeth.gov.uk/forms/parks-enquiries Email: [email protected] Tel: 020 7926 9000
RHS Standards Within the specification where references are made to RHS standards, work will be performed as detailed within: RHS Pruning & Training. ISBN Number: 9781405315265.
Performance Management and Key Performance Indicators This document is publicly available and we invite Friends groups and other stakeholders to use it for performance monitoring purposes. Lambeth Landscapes’ Operations Managers and Supervisors will follow a scheduled and ad-hoc inspection regime to ensure all aspects of the specification are being met, and this will be supplemented by inspections from other officers as appropriate. In addition, the following Key Performance Indicators will be monitored against targets on an ongoing basis:
No. Key Performance Indicator Target 19/20 Data capture/source 1 Number of Green Flags awarded (all categories) 16 Keep Britain Tidy 2 London in Bloom – Silver Gilt and Gold awards 12 London in Bloom 3 Number of Stage 1 complaints upheld <30 Internal records 4 Number of Stage 2 complaints received <4 Internal records Satisfaction levels – users considering Lambeth’s parks Face-to-face and online 5 75% to be good or excellent overall surveys Income generated (within parks budget only, excludes 6 £350,000 Accounting systems events and sports income) 7 External grants successfully applied for 4 Internal records Volunteer hours (commercial groups and organised Internal records and 8 550 activities within parks) from stakeholders 9 Carbon footprint from vehicle fleet <150 tonnes Internal records Percentage of local wildlife sites being positively 10 80% Internal records managed for biodiversity (national KPI) Area of land managed by Lambeth Landscapes 11 25% GIS assessment primarily for nature conservation 12 Staffing levels 90% Establishment data 13 Agency staffing hours 0 Matrix 14 NI195 (detritus). Transects surveyed at B- or C <10% Internal and external
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No. Key Performance Indicator Target 19/20 Data capture/source tranche surveys Internal and external 15 NI195 (fly-posting). Transects surveyed at B- or C <10% tranche surveys Internal and external 16 NI195 (graffiti). Transects surveyed at B- or C <10% tranche surveys Internal and external 17 NI195 (litter). Transects surveyed at B- or C <10% tranche surveys Play area repairs classified as ‘immediate risk’ 18 100% Internal database addressed as advised on the same day as notified Play area repairs classified as ‘high risk’ addressed as 19 90% Internal database advised within the recommended three months
These KPIs have been chosen to give a broad representation of the service and because the data are relatively easy to monitor and collect. A benchmarking exercise identified a large number of potential measures and these were reduced to provide a practical list which wouldn’t represent an unachievable burden on reduced staff resources. The KPIs are intended to measure outcomes. All performance data behind the KPIs will be compiled and made available as quarterly and annual reports. Officers will review and assess success in meeting targets and develop an action plan where targets are not being met. As all data will be openly provided to the Parks Forum and Friends groups it is anticipated that Friends groups and Management Advisory Committees will be involved in reviewing performance. Qualitative data will also be derived and published from KPI 5 (user satisfaction). Where comparative external data can be obtained, benchmarking will take place and be included within performance reports. The collection of data will vary by KPI, but where park-specific data is collected, this will be compiled in the quarterly and annual monitoring reports. In terms of KPI 3, the council only upholds complaints if there has been a recognisable failure in service delivery. Where expectations exceed our specification or issues are not within the remit of Parks, concerns would not be upheld as a complaint. Complaints analysis will form part of the performance monitoring work with the aim of identifying trends or underlying themes and exploring what can be done to prevent future complaints arising (where resources permit).
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Section 1 – Grass Management
Desired outcomes:
Well-maintained amenity grassland, kept short throughout the year Appropriately managed sports pitches A significant increase in the area of grassland managed for biodiversity.
Service outputs:
1.1 So far as is reasonably practical, all litter and debris will be removed in advance of mowing operations.
1.2 All reasonable care will be taken to avoid damage to ground, grass sward, emerging bulbs, trees, features, furniture or infrastructure during mowing.
1.3 Close mowing or strimming will take place around all furniture, features and obstructions, including tree protection guards, in order to produce a consistent height of cut.
1.4 Soft grass edges will be trimmed flush with their defined edge and reformed as necessary each time they are strimmed.
1.5 Any mown litter and debris will be removed shortly after completion, so far as is practical. Paths and hardstanding areas will be left free of grass clippings on completion of cutting.
1.6 All mowing and strimming will be completed within two working days at any given location.
1.7 All amenity grass will be cut a minimum of 10 times throughout the year. Between April and September sites will be cut at least monthly, unless there is prolonged dry weather when cutting frequencies will be reduced.
1.8 Between 1 October and 31 March, weather permitting, amenity grass will be cut at least twice.
1.9 Grass surfaces will be mown to a consistent height, with clippings evenly dispersed across the mown area or mulched within the sward. Mulching configurations will be used wherever possible.
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1.10 Naturalised bulb areas will be mown and maintained as amenity grass once bulb foliage has fully died back.
1.11 Rough and meadow grass scheduled for a yearly cut will be mown once annually, between 1 September and 31 October each year. All grass clippings will be collected and removed within seven days of cutting. The arisings will either be composted or used for energy production.
1.12 Additional ad-hoc cuts will be made where necessary in response to safety or other concerns.
1.13 Areas of rough and meadow grass subject to annual or infrequent cutting which border paths or internal roadways will be clearly demarcated to indicate they are part of an active management regime. This will be achieved using a border strip of between 30cm and one metre in width, which will be maintained as amenity grass and mown approximately monthly between 1 April and 30 September. In certain circumstances, and in agreement with Friends groups, no margin will be left, for example where wildflower areas are relatively small, or there is the risk of damage to sensitive species, fruit bushes or other features.
1.14 Differentiated cutting regimes will be discussed and agreed with key stakeholders on an ongoing basis. There will be a presumption in favour of maximising the area of land managed for nature conservation. As well as environmental benefits this will allow the reduced resources to be focused more intensively on the key areas of amenity grass, ensuring a higher frequency of cutting. It may be that some areas are cut two or three times a year; or small areas cut every two years on rotation to enable maximum benefits for invertebrates. Some areas may also be left permanently uncut. Cutting regimes will be reviewed with key stakeholders at least annually and immediate changes will be made if circumstances dictate. The successful trial of a non- intervention area in Brockwell Park during 2018 has resulted in the decision to leave both conservation areas uncut on a permanent basis. The conservation areas on Clapham Common will also be left permanently uncut in order to maximise benefits for wildlife.
1.15 For each site where the grass-cutting regime has been fully reviewed, detailed maps will be produced and provided to key stakeholder groups.
1.16 Highway verges will be cut monthly between March and October (conditions permitting) unless they have been created or designated as wildflower verges, in which case they will be cut annually in autumn and the cuttings removed.
1.17 Cemeteries will, in the main, be cut under three different regimes. High profile areas will be cut to
~ 5 ~ LAMBETH GROUNDS MAINTENANCE SPECIFICATION a very high frequency with mulching push mowers to create a quality finish. During the main growing season these areas will be cut weekly, and during the rest of the year they will be cut fortnightly, ground conditions permitting. High profile areas include entrances and crematorium grounds.
The bulk of the cemeteries will be cut on a five to seven week cycle, the exact length of which will be dependent on ground conditions and the weather. The cutting period will cover March to December, ground conditions permitting.
Lambeth’s cemeteries all date from the nineteenth century and some areas still contain densely packed Victorian graves with no or very few graves still visited by living relatives. This applies to certain areas within West Norwood Cemetery and Streatham Cemetery. The reduction in resources and the desire to manage our sites to increase biodiversity where possible, means that it makes sense to manage these areas for wildlife and cut them on an infrequent basis. At both sites the wildlife areas will be cut annually in late autumn/early winter. All areas managed for wildlife will be marked with signs and a register will be kept of visited graves. Access to these graves will be cut as part of the regular cutting cycle. A verge of approximately 50cm to one metre in width will also be cut as part of the regular cycle where wildlife areas border internal roadways.
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Section 2 – Waste Management
Desired outcomes:
The removal of litter and detritus in line with legal requirements.
Service Outputs
2.1 Legal obligations for keeping land clear of litter and other waste are set out in the 2006 Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse (CoP). The CoP requires local authorities to zone their land as high, medium or low intensity of use and manage sites accordingly to designated standards and response times. The specification is summarised below and a list of sites with their classification is provided in Appendix 1. Some larger sites have split zoning and maps are included within Appendix 1. Some sites are cleaned by Veolia as part of Lambeth’s waste services contract and details are also provided in Appendix 1. Shrub beds and woodland areas are mostly treated as low intensity of use areas. The aim is to empty litter bins at sufficient frequencies to prevent them overflowing, whatever the use category of the site they are located in.
High intensity use Medium intensity use Low intensity use
Peak season Three times a week Once a day (1 April-30 (Monday, Wednesday, Once a week (Monday-Sunday) September)* Friday) Low season Once a day Once a week Once a month (1 October-31 March) (Monday-Friday) 1/2 a day This means by 6pm if Maximum response time reported before 1pm 1 day to restore to grade A or This means by 6pm the 14 days standard if it falls below by 1pm the next duty following day grade B day if reported between 1pm and 6pm on the previous day Grade A definition No litter or refuse Grade B definition Predominately free of litter and refuse apart from some small items Grade C definition Widespread distribution of litter and/or refuse with minor accumulations Grade D definition Heavily affected by litter and/or refuse with significant accumulations * Peak season may be extended on a small number of very high usage sites such as Brockwell Park and Clapham Common.
2.2 Bagged litter will be placed into vehicles and removed from site, or left next to litter bins for removal on the same day. Waste will then be stored in appropriate refuse containers in areas to which the public do not have access. In larger parks waste will also be collected directly from bulk wheeled bins located in areas of high footfall. All waste is disposed of via Western Riverside Waste Authority and is sent to a modern energy-from-waste facility in the London ~ 7 ~ LAMBETH GROUNDS MAINTENANCE SPECIFICATION
Borough of Bexley. The site generates electricity for the National Grid and all solid outputs (metal and ash) are reused or recycled into usable products.
2.3 All vegetative waste removed from site will be separately shredded and composted, with the exception of certain pernicious or scheduled weeds.
2.4 Fly-tipped waste will be removed for disposal within 48 hours of being reported and will be disposed of at Western Riverside Waste Authority transfer stations. Wherever possible fly-tipped waste will be separated for recycling at the transfer station.
2.5 Syringes and sharps will be collected and placed immediately into purpose made sharps containers and disposed of as clinical waste. All such drug-related paraphernalia will be removed within 48 hours of a report being received.
2.6 All litter bins with accumulated residue will be jet-washed inside and out at least once every two years. Bins will generally be emptied in accordance with the litter-picking zones in which they are situated. However, scheduling will aim to ensure that all litter bins are emptied with sufficient frequency to prevent them overflowing. At sites without static park attendants emptying bins more than once a day will not be possible.
2.7 Accumulations of leaves, vegetative matter and detritus will be cleared and composted. Paths and roadways within the following parks are scheduled to be mechanically swept at least once a month: Agnes Riley Gardens, Archbishop’s Park, Brockwell Park, Clapham Common (including play areas), Hillside Gardens, Kennington Park, Larkhall Park, Loughborough Park, Max Roach Park, Myatt’s Fields Park, Norwood Park, Old Paradise Gardens, Rush Common, Ruskin Park, Streatham Common, Streatham Vale, Tivoli Park, Vauxhall Park and Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. Metalled roads in all three cemeteries will be mechanically swept at least once every three months.
2.8 Accumulations of leaves will be cleared as part of a scheduled programme over the autumn/ winter period to prevent detriment to grass or planted areas. Seasonal leaf clearance will be completed by the last day of February each year. Clearance may involve mulching the leaves in situ with ride-on mowers at those locations where this technique is able to produce a satisfactory result.
2.9 In order to manage litter on the larger sites, 1100 litre wheeled bins will be placed out at strategic locations between 1 April and 31 October, and in some areas all year round. The existing stock is currently being refurbished so that all bins are of a standard colour (RAL 6008 ‘browngreen’) and clearly labelled for public use. Bins will be left with lids open for ease of use.
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2.10 Recycling bins have been placed into a number of parks and a separate recycling run is made weekly with the dustcart. All recyclables will be tipped separately at Western Riverside Waste Authority. Lids will be locked to try and reduce contamination and flaps will be left open to make the bins easier to use.
2.11 A Parks Waste Management Action Plan is being implemented and a range of trials and education campaigns may be initiated to encourage users to take greater responsibility for their litter. This may include removing litter bins at one or two sites or moving all litter bins to the periphery of sites. Any changes will involve consultation with key stakeholders and will be combined with an education and awareness campaign.
2.12 A Parks Enforcement Plan is being developed and includes a range of measures to try and reduce littering, dog fouling and anti-social behaviour. This will be consulted on with key stakeholders before any initiatives are implemented.
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Section 3 – Herbaceous Beds
Desired outcomes:
Providing vibrant and colourful horticultural features Achieving wildlife benefits through the provision of native, nectar-rich plants.
Service Outputs
3.1 Herbaceous and mixed beds will be attended monthly to remove weeds and control any invasive or fast-spreading plants as appropriate. The soil surface will be cultivated to prevent soil capping.
3.2 Soil structure and soil fertility improvement will be undertaken as necessary to maintain plant health.
3.3 Plant division, pruning, staking, irrigation and dead-heading will be carried out as necessary to maintain plant vigour and in accordance with good horticultural practice.
3.4 No chemical methods will be used to control pests and diseases. Non-chemical methods may be used in extreme circumstances, otherwise serious infestations will be dealt with by removing diseased plants and replanting at an appropriate time.
3.5 All beds will be mulched at least every two years during the winter with appropriate organic material. Mulch will be applied to a depth of no less than 50mm by 31 March each year.
3.6 All vegetative waste will be removed for composting (please see Section 16 for more detail).
3.7 As the opportunity arises, existing plants will be replaced with native, nectar-rich, drought- resistant species.
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Section 4 – Shrub and Hedge Maintenance
Desired outcome:
Well-managed specimen ornamental shrubs, hedges, shrub beds and climbing shrubs.
Service Outputs
4.1 All shrubs, hedges and climbing shrubs will be pruned and maintained according to species requirements, RHS standards and by avoiding forms and shapes unrepresentative of the species.
4.2 Soil structure improvement and fertility improvement will be undertaken as necessary to maintain plant health.
4.3 Weeds within shrub beds will be managed in accordance with Lambeth’s Integrated Pest Management Policy and herbicides will not be used except in extreme circumstances. Selected shrub beds will receive a winter application of a suitable mulch to suppress weed growth and supplementary hand weeding will take place as required. It won’t be possible to maintain all shrub beds in a completely weed-free condition, however the aim will be for at least two visits during the growing season which will include weeding. Involvement from Friends groups and volunteers will be welcomed and encouraged in order to increase maintenance interventions.
4.4 Dead or diseased shrubs will be removed as part of the annual winter maintenance programme. Friends groups will be consulted on any significant changes proposed.
4.5 Climbing shrubs will be securely tied to the supporting structure or wall using appropriate fixing methods. Supporting structures including pergolas, arbors, and wire supports will be maintained in a secure condition. This work will form part of the winter maintenance programme and supplementary work during the growing season will vary between sites depending on the resources available. For sites with dedicated gardeners ties and other fixing methods will be checked regularly through the year. For other sites there will be at least one comprehensive check and maintenance session during the growing season.
4.6 Mature shrubs or those which have outgrown their position will be coppiced or reduced as appropriate – not exceeding 10 per cent of any area of shrub planting each year.
4.7 Areas of shrubs which are identified as regularly being used for anti-social behaviour will be cleared and removed, preferably as part of the winter maintenance programme. The work will take place at other times of year if the need is urgent and resources can be diverted without ~ 11 ~ LAMBETH GROUNDS MAINTENANCE SPECIFICATION impacting on other core areas of the specification.
4.8 All formal hedges will be evenly cut level and close clipped on the top and on all elevations. Hedges will be maintained to an appropriate height and to a uniform or tapering width, and will not exceed the width of the hedge at its lowest point. Maintenance will form part of the winter programme, with supplementary trimming during the growing period where growth is impeding access or causing a safety issue. All hedges will receive at least one supplementary trim during the growing season.
4.9 Hedge bases will be maintained free of weeds through manual weeding and mulching wherever possible.
4.10 All hedge clippings will be removed for composting.
4.11 All hard and soft grass edges will trimmed flush with their defined edge.
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Section 5 – Rose Beds
Desired outcome:
Appropriately managed species, hybrid, floribunda, climbing and rambling roses.
Service outputs
5.1 All roses will be maintained and pruned according to good horticultural practice and RHS standards.
5.2 On sites with dedicated gardeners the following outputs in 5.3 to 5.9 will be undertaken on a regular basis. On sites without dedicated gardeners the aim will be to try and work with Friends groups to implement an appropriate maintenance regime using a combination of scheduled visits from Lambeth Landscapes staff and volunteer input. On any sites where it is not possible to ensure an appropriate maintenance regime rose beds may be replaced with lower-maintenance features such as herbaceous perennials, wildflower sowings or grass.
5.3 Dead-heading will be undertaken as required to maintain plant vigour and according to good horticultural practice.
5.4 Plants will have root stock suckers and stem suckers removed regularly.
5.5 Climbing and rambling roses will be securely tied to their supporting structure or wall using appropriate purpose made fixings.
5.6 Beds will be mulched annually with an appropriate organic material to a minimum depth of 50mm.
5.7 All rose beds in cemeteries will be attended at least fortnightly for all maintenance purposes and will be weeded on each occasion.
5.8 All dead or inappropriate plants will be removed for composting.
5.9 Soil structure improvement and fertility improvement will be undertaken as necessary to maintain plant health.
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Section 6 – Ornamental Gardens
Desired outcome:
Dedicated staffing and the maintenance of traditional gardens as areas of high quality horticulture. The gardens will contain a mix of roses, herbaceous perennials, bulbs, ornamental grasses and hedging, specimen shrubs and ornamental trees, managed in accordance with the appropriate section of the specification and professional horticultural practice.
Service outputs
6.1 Qualified gardeners will be provided as full-time and dedicated staff from Monday to Friday each week in the following locations:
Kennington Park Flower Garden Brockwell Park Walled Garden Vauxhall Park ornamental and lavender gardens.
6.2 Any surplus time will be spent on additional gardening duties within the parks the staff are based in.
6.3 Seasonal bedding will not be used and the gardens will feature herbaceous perennials, ornamental grasses, shrubs and bulbs.
6.4 In terms of species choice there will be a presumption for native, nectar-rich and drought-tolerant species.
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Section 7 – Naturalised Areas
Desired outcomes:
Selected sites or areas within specific parks and open spaces will be managed for the benefit of nature conservation, landscape character and biological diversity. Where possible these sites or areas will also be managed to facilitate public access and for educational purposes. These sites will be managed in accordance with the London Borough of Lambeth’s Biodiversity Action Plan (LamBAP) and Local Management Plans produced for specific sites.
Service Outputs
7.1 Naturalised grass areas will, in the main, be cut and maintained as ‘meadow grassland’. Grass will be mown on one occasion, to a height of 50mm, between 1 July and 31 October each year, as per section 1.14. The grass-cutting regimes for all parks will be reviewed with the aim of increasing areas managed for biodiversity. For more detail see Section 1: Grass Management
7.2 Weeds classified as ‘noxious’ or ‘invasive’ (e.g. Japanese Knotweed, Giant Hogweed) will be removed and eradicated from all naturalised areas, using appropriate techniques.
7.3 Woodland areas will be managed as ‘ecological woodland habitat’ for which an annual programme of work will be set by the Environmental Compliance Officer.
7.4 All naturalised areas will be kept free of litter and fly-tipped waste in accordance with Section 2: Waste Management.
7.5 Woodlands – Clapham Common, Streatham Common, Unigate Wood, Eardley Road Sidings, Knight’s Hill Wood.
All established pathways and boundaries will be kept clear of obstructions up to a height of two metres through an annual winter programme. In addition, paths will also be checked and cleared of overhanging brambles and any other obstructions at least twice between 1 April and 31 September.
7.6 Wetlands – Clapham Common, Brockwell Park, Ruskin Park, Agnes Riley Gardens, Tivoli Park
All bodies of water, islands (floating and static) and surrounds will be kept free of litter, waste and detritus including fishing tackle. Sites will be checked in accordance with Section 2: Waste Management.
7.7 All water channels and culverts will be inspected weekly and will be kept clear of obstructions, ~ 15 ~ LAMBETH GROUNDS MAINTENANCE SPECIFICATION debris, silt and weeds as required with at least two scheduled full maintenance visits per annum. The aim will be to supplement these visits with additional sessions provided by volunteers or Community Payback groups.
7.8 Aquatic and marginal plants will be maintained as appropriate to species requirements to ensure good plant health. Dead, diseased or inappropriate plant species will be removed on a regular basis or as required.
7.9 Oxygen degradation will be prevented by the control and removal of vegetative matter such as leaf litter. Algae will be controlled by cultural or mechanical methods.
7.10 All aquatic weed species will be controlled by non-chemical means.
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Section 8 – Sapling and Minor Tree Maintenance
Desired outcome:
The successful establishment of sapling and semi-mature trees through the application of good horticultural and arboricultural practice and standards.
Service outputs
8.1 It is intended that all tree wells for trees less than three years old will be maintained as circular or square pits with a 50-100cm diameter, and will be mulched annually during autumn/winter to a minimum depth of 50mm either with one-year old chippings or self-produced soil conditioner. However, limited staff resources mean that it will take time before this can be achieved and in some areas may be reliant on volunteer help. Tree wells will be maintained through the use of annual mulching, supplemented with weeding where required.
8.2 All tree wells will be subject to at least one maintenance visit between April and September which will include non-chemical removal of weeds.
8.3 Tree stakes will be secured by ties. Stakes and guards will be renewed or removed for disposal during winter.
8.4 Semi-mature standard trees will be feathered to remove any lateral stem growth to maintain a clear stem between the tree crown and ground level unless otherwise directed by the trees team. This work will be undertaken annually in winter.
8.5 All trees will be kept free of epicormic growth as part of a winter maintenance programme where this is causing an obstruction or is interfering with furniture, fencing or other infrastructure.
8.6 Where young trees are protected by tree guards and no tree well was established, grass will be mown or strimmed right up to the guard as part of the surrounding maintenance regime.
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Section 9 – Sports Facilities
Desired outcomes:
To support the Active Lambeth Plan through the maintenance of facilities in a safe, clean and accessible condition.
Service outputs
9.1 All courts and pitches will be litter-picked in accordance with Section 2: Waste Management. Large items of debris will be removed at the same time that sites are litter-picked. As part of the winter maintenance programme all facilities will be thoroughly cleaned, including the removal of moss and algae.
9.2 All pitches, courts, nets, equipment and facilities will be inspected weekly to ensure they are in a safe condition for public use. Any defects in surfaces or equipment will be reported to the Parks Improvement Team (PIT), the sports team, or other appropriate body.
9.3 Replacement nets and fittings will be fitted within seven days of being provided by the sports team or appropriate body.
9.4 All sockets and fixtures will be maintained in a sound and secure condition. Sockets will be securely capped outside of the playing season.
9.5 All turf pitch line markings will be accurately measured and marked out in accordance with the relevant sport governing body. Where necessary, additional mowing will be undertaken in order that pitch markings, including those for school sports days, can be applied to suitably short turf and to assist with longevity of the markings. Pitch markings on Clapham Common will include the pitch reference number.
9.6 Additional sports and activities will be accurately measured and marked out in accordance with the relevant sport governing body.
9.7 Goalposts and Australian Rules posts will be securely installed prior to play. All equipment will be left in-situ throughout the playing season.
9.8 On tennis courts all nets and posts will be checked weekly and adjusted to the correct height and tension. Nets will be maintained in position all year round. Tennis court playing surfaces will be ~ 18 ~ LAMBETH GROUNDS MAINTENANCE SPECIFICATION mechanically cleaned a minimum of once per year between 1 October and 31 March in order to remove detritus, weeds, moss and algae.
9.9 Polymeric sport surfaces will be maintained to the requirements of Section 15: Hardstanding, Paths and Fence line Maintenance.
9.10 Skateboard facilities will be cleared of litter and large items of debris in accordance with their zoning under Section 2: Waste Management. Sites will receive a deep clean as part of the winter maintenance programme.
9.11 Turf Pitches The playing surface will be maintained level, free from holes, undulations, depressions or trip hazards. Pitch repairs will be carried out with a screened loam based soil prior to play.
9.12 Grass will be maintained at a height of 25mm to 60mm during the playing season. At all other times the grass will be maintained to the Amenity grass specification.
9.13 Line markings will be made without the use of additives which may be detrimental to the sward.
9.14 Redgra playing surfaces will be checked monthly to ensure they are free from major trip hazards.
9.15 Tarmac areas will be maintained in compliance with the requirements of Section 15: Hardstandings, paths and fenceline maintenance.
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Section 10 – Children’s play areas
Desired outcomes:
The provision of safe, clean, well maintained and accessible children’s play facilities. The application of current European safety standards for fixed play equipment.
Service outputs
10.1 When the ERP-FM software is fully implemented, all fixed play equipment and infrastructure will be visually inspected at least monthly by appropriately trained staff. Any identified faults will be photographed, recorded on the system and passed to the appropriate team for rectification. At high usage sites inspections will be made more frequently.
10.2 All play areas will be inspected quarterly to the requirements of BSEN 1176-1177 and a written or electronic report detailing any defects in equipment, surfaces, furniture or other infrastructure, including landscape play features, will be produced. These inspections are commissioned by the Council’s Facilities Management team and undertaken by an independent company.
10.4 Unsafe or dangerously defective items of equipment will be taken out of service, isolated or otherwise made safe. This will normally be on the same working day that the issue is identified or reported and verified.
10.5 All surfaces, including impact absorbent surfacing, timber steps, ramps, bridges and access decks will be maintained in a clean condition and kept free of weeds, moss and algae without the use of residual chemicals. This will normally be via an annual clean as part of the winter maintenance programme.
10.6 All equipment will be maintained in a clean condition and fit for the intended use.
10.7 All sand pits will be litter picked in accordance with their zoning under Section 2: Waste Management.
10.8 All sand pits will be hand forked or mechanically cleaned to a depth of up to 250mm and disinfected as necessary to maintain clean and safe conditions, using a bleach free sterilising agent to the manufacturer’s recommended dilution. Cleaning will take place weekly between 1 April and 30 September and monthly between 1 October and 31 March.
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10.9 Sand levels will be maintained to a depth of no less than 100mm and topped up every six months.
10.10 Where sand pits contain fixed play equipment, the sand levels will be maintained to ensure the equipment base fixings are not exposed. They will be checked and topped up as necessary on a weekly basis between 1 April and 30 September and monthly over the rest of the year.
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Section 11 – Paddling Pools / Water Play
Desired outcome:
The provision of safe, clean and accessible play facilities.
Service outputs
11.1 The service will operate between late May and 30 September at the following locations: Brockwell Park, Clapham Common, Myatt’s Fields Park and Norwood Park. Other paddling pools in Agnes Riley Gardens, Ruskin Park and Streatham Common are being managed by the respective Friends group / SCCoop, with the exception of compliance testing. Self-management is subject to a standard agreement detailing the responsibilities of both parties.
11.2 All paddling pools will be clean and open for use by 10am each day. Paddling pools will be closed to the public by 7pm.
11.3 All paddling pools and their surrounds will be kept clean, hygienic and free from damage, debris, litter, glass, hazardous contaminants or trip hazards at all times of use and maintained to the requirement of Section 2: Waste management.
11.4 All paddling pools and surrounds will be maintained free of algae, moss and weed species. Paddling pools will be drained and the entirety thoroughly cleaned with an appropriate cleaning agent as often as is necessary to prevent the visible presence of algae. Paddling pools will be drained and cleaned no less than every four days.
11.5 When a pool or its surrounds is found or reported to contain any hazardous contaminants such as glass or animal fouling the pool will be drained and cleaned within one hour.
11.6 Each paddling pool will be visited by our contractor no less than once every four hours during periods of use for the purposes of carrying out a safety inspection and a water quality test.
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Section 12 – Security
Desired outcomes:
Ensuring selected locations are opened and closed as per advertised times. Ensuring public safety when closing locations.
Service outputs
12.1 All perimeter gates scheduled for locking will be opened by 7.30am (7.00am at Ruskin Park) and all internal gates, toilets and barriers will be opened by 8am.
12.2 Where parks are to be locked at night gates will be locked at or around dusk. For parks with multiple gates, some perimeter gates may be locked at the end of the day’s core working shift (3pm).
12.3 On opening, gates will be safely secured open (wherever possible) either by a locked drop bolt or by the use of a lock and chain.
12.4 Prior to locking each site, reasonable measures will be taken to ensure that all members of the public have left the site.
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Section 13 – Furniture and Fittings
Desired outcomes:
The maintenance of all furniture, fittings and infrastructure with particular attention to structural condition. Isolation and repair of hazardous items.
Service outputs
13.1 All furniture, fittings and infrastructure will be inspected every three months and any damage or hazards reported immediately to the Parks Improvement Team.
13.2 Benches will be maintained clean and free from graffiti, bird droppings, sap etc. and in a condition fit for public use. Any sharp extrusions will be removed. Non-wooden benches will be washed at least once a year.
13.3 Wooden benches, seat and tables will be treated with a weather resistant stain every three years as required as part of the winter maintenance programme.
13.4 All park shelters will be jet-washed annually as part of the winter maintenance programme and this will include clearing out all gutters. Wood stain or paint will be applied as required.
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Section 14 – Graffiti
Desired outcomes:
Keeping buildings and other infrastructure clear of graffiti and fly-posting. Rapid removal of offensive graffiti, or graffiti on sensitive infrastructure.
Service outputs
14.1 Graffiti and fly-posting will be removed from signage, furniture, buildings and other infrastructure within seven days of it being discovered or reported.
14.2 Priority will be given to the removal of graffiti that may be perceived as being of an offensive nature or in a sensitive location. This will include graffiti of a racist or obscene nature or graffiti on locations such as war memorials or historic buildings. Graffiti within this category will be removed within 24 hours of discovery or reporting (Monday to Friday only).
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Section 15 – Hardstandings, Paths and Fenceline Maintenance
Desired outcomes:
The maintenance of all footways, hardstanding areas, safety surfaces and the floors of open structures in a safe and clean condition. The maintenance of clear fence lines and boundaries.
Service outputs
15.1 The cleanliness of all hardstanding areas and polymeric surfaces will meet the standards outlined in Section 2: Waste Management.
15.2 All hardstanding areas and polymeric surfaces will be mechanically cleaned at least once a year to remove weeds, moss and algae.
15.3 All footpaths will be inspected weekly for trip hazards or damage. Any hazards will be immediately isolated and reported to the appropriate team for rectification. Repairs which can be undertaken by the in-house team will be completed within two weeks of being reported.
15.4 During periods of snow or freezing conditions, key pedestrian routes (entrances and some step slopes and steps) will be treated with evenly spread road salt at a rate not exceeding 10 grams per square metre.
15.5 All fence lines and boundaries, including path boundaries, will be kept free of obstruction from trees, shrubs or other vegetation, to a height of two metres. Maintenance will take place between 1 October and 31 March with significant obstructions cleared at other times as necessary.
15.6 All fence lines and boundaries will be maintained free of self-set seedlings, weeds, vegetation and epicormic tree growth. This will be undertaken through a scheduled maintenance programme between 1 October and 31 March each year, with significant issues dealt with on an ad-hoc basis at other times.
15.7 Metalled paths will receive a manual treatment at least once every two years to edge them and remove weeds.
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Section 16 – Composting
Desired outcome:
The composting of all suitable herbaceous non-woody waste. The creation of a clean soil conditioner for use within parks on beds and community gardens.
Service outputs
16.1 All non-woody and herbaceous vegetative material arising from maintenance operations will be delivered for composting to the scheduled disposal locations. Where capacity exists this will be to Lambeth Landscapes managed composting facilities, otherwise to the Council’s agreed green waste disposal locations.
16.2 Controlled or notifiable weeds will not be composted.
16.3 Lambeth Landscapes will manage composting sites at Brockwell Park and Clapham Common at the established green waste handling areas.
16.4 The appropriate Environment Agency permits or exemptions will be obtained.
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Section 17 – Public Toilets
Desired outcomes:
The provision, opening and closing of public toilets. An effective cleansing programme for all toilets.
Service outputs:
17.1 Public toilets in parks will be opened and locked within one hour of the scheduled park opening and closing times.
17.2 Toilets will be cleaned daily (Monday to Sunday) between 7am and 2pm and all consumables will be checked and re-stocked as necessary at the same time.
17.3 All toilets will be inspected at least once during the day.
17.4 If significant issues with cleansing are reported or observed, supplementary cleaning will be undertaken the same day wherever possible. However, this will be dependent on location and time of report and staff may not be available until the following day.
17.5 Maintenance issues will be reported daily. Wherever possible issues will be dealt with internally through the Parks Improvement Team, prioritised accordingly.
17.6 Some toilets may be subject to seasonal closure or mid-week closure during the low-season, with any closures discussed with the appropriate stakeholder groups.
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Section 18 – Repairs and Maintenance
Desired outcomes:
The provision of a responsive, cost effective and good quality repairs and maintenance service The ability to perform the vast majority of repairs and maintenance tasks within Lambeth Landscapes.
Service outputs:
18.1 A permanent repairs and maintenance team (the Parks Improvement Team) will operate Monday to Friday and will be supported by other members of staff as required. All officers will be appropriately trained and qualified, or will be apprentices within structured training programmes.
18.2 The maintenance team will undertake the following works themselves wherever possible: bench installation and repairs, blocked drains, bollards, brickwork, building works, carpentry, doors, drain covers, electrical work, fencing repairs, fixtures and fittings, gate repairs, grass reinstatement, groundworks, guttering, noticeboards, paddling pool/wet play repairs, painting and decorating, path repairs, paving, playground equipment and surfacing, plumbing, posts, roof repairs, security measures, signage, tiling and welding.
18.3 All works will be carried out in accordance with a prioritisation system as shown in the table below. The timeframes apply Monday to Friday, and working days are Monday-Friday; however for Priority 1 issues where there is a significant health and safety risk, officers will still aim to respond within one hour of being notified under the emergency call-out service and take interim action to try and mitigate risk as far as possible. The prioritisation system will be developed and refined as the service become established, but will be based on health and safety issues and impact on users.
Priority Timeframe to respond Timeframe to resolve P1 1 hour 24 hours P2 4 hours 4 working days P3 3 working days 7 working days P4 7 working days 14 working days P5 Project as agreed Project as agreed
18.4 Repairs and maintenance outside of the scope of the in-house maintenance team will be contracted out, preferably to local companies. Quotes will be obtained in accordance with Lambeth’s procurement regulations and the timescales for rectification will be considerably longer.
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Appendix 1 Sites Covered by this Specification and their Litter Zoning
Site Intensity of Use Site Intensity of Use
Agnes Riley Gardens Medium Oval Triangle (aka Kennington Oval) Veolia1 Albert Embankment Gardens Veolia1 Palace Road Nature Garden Low Archbishop’s Park High Pedlar's Park Medium Becondale Road Open Space Veolia1 Reedworth Street Open Space Veolia1 Brixton Orchard Brixton BID Rush Common Medium Brockwell Park High/Low2 Ruskin Park High/Medium/Low2 Clapham Common High Sherwood Avenue Open Space Veolia1 Claylands Road Open Space Veolia1 Slade Gardens High Cleaver Square Medium St John’s Church Gardens High Coldharbour Lane Open Space Low St Luke’s Church Gardens Veolia1 Dumbarton Court Gardens Veolia1 St Mark’s Church Gardens Medium Eardley Road Sidings Low St Mary-at-Lambeth Grounds Veolia1 Elam Street Open Space Low St Matthew’s Church Gardens Veolia1 Emma Cons Gardens Veolia1 St Paul’s Church Gardens Low Grafton Square Medium Stockwell Memorial Gardens Medium Hatfield’s Open Space Medium Stockwell Skate Park High Hillside Gardens High Streatham Cemetery Medium Holmewood Gardens High Streatham Common High/Medium/Low2 Holy Trinity Churchyard High Streatham Green Veolia1 Kennington Green Veolia1 Streatham Memorial Gardens Low Kennington Park High/Medium2 Streatham Vale Park Medium Kirkstall Gardens Low Tivoli Park Medium Knight’s Hill Wood Low Trinity Gardens Veolia1 Lambeth Cemetery Medium Ufford Street Recreation Ground Medium Lambeth Walk Open Space Medium Unigate Wood Low Lansdowne Gardens Veolia1 Vale Street MUGA Low Larkhall Park High Valley Road Playing Field Low Loughborough Park Low Vauxhall Park High Max Roach Park High/Medium2 Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens High Milkwood Road Open Space Medium West Norwood Cemetery Medium Myatt’s Fields Park High Windmill Gardens High Norwood Park High/Medium2 Windrush Square Veolia1 Old Paradise Gardens Medium Wyck Gardens Low
Notes: 1 please see the table below for Veolia cleansing frequencies. 2 please see the maps below showing parks with split litter zoning.
~ 30 ~ LAMBETH GROUNDS MAINTENANCE SPECIFICATION
The cleansing details for the sites litter-picked by Veolia as part of the Waste Services contract are listed in the table below.
Site Litter-picking Manual sweeping Scrubber-dryer Albert Embankment Twice weekly n/a No Becondale Road Open Space Twice weekly n/a No Claylands Road Open Space Twice weekly n/a No Dumbarton Court Gardens Twice weekly n/a No Emma Cons Gardens Daily Daily Once every two weeks Kennington Green Twice weekly n/a No Lansdowne Gardens Twice weekly n/a No Oval Triangle Twice weekly Once every 8 weeks No Reedworth Street Open Space Twice weekly n/a No Stockwell Memorial Gardens Twice weekly Once every 8 weeks No St Luke’s Church Gardens Twice weekly Once every 8 weeks No St Mary-at-Lambeth Grounds Twice weekly Once every 8 weeks No St Matthew’s Church Gardens Daily Daily No Sherwood Avenue Open Space Twice weekly Once every 8 weeks No Streatham Green Daily Daily No Trinity Gardens Twice weekly Once every 8 weeks No Windrush Square Daily Daily Once every two weeks
Dan Leno Gardens is managed by Pinnacle; The Rookery by SCCoop and Waterloo Millennium Green by Bankside Open Spaces Trust. Split zoning maps for larger parks are shown on the following pages. As a new regime these will be subject to annual review and feedback from stakeholders is welcomed.
~ 31 ~ West Norwood Cemetery
Management Plan
Appendix Three
West Norwood Cemetery Community Consultation and Information 2017
Lambeth Parks & Greenspaces 4th Floor Blue Star House 234-244 Stockwell Road 020 7926 9000 [email protected]
Plate 1: Origins and Importance of West Norwood Cemetery
Plate 2: Heritage Lottery Funding of West Norwood Cemetery – Objectives and Opportunities
Plate 3: Conservation, Management and Maintenance for West Norwood Cemetery
Plate 4: Restoration Masterplan for West Norwood Cemetery
Plate 5: Restoration of Heritage and Monuments in West Norwood Cemetery
Plate 6: Increasing Activities and Opportunities for Visitors and Volunteers at West Norwood Cemetery
Plate 7: Improved Facilities for Visitors and Volunteers at West Norwood Cemetery
Plate 8: Improving Access to West Norwood Cemetery