North East Surrey Crematorium ashes lawn consultation

Overview

North East Surrey Crematorium opened in 1958 and since then over 100,000 services have taken place there.

The crematorium grounds include a Garden of Remembrance where many sets of ashes are interred, a large proportion of which are buried in the main ashes lawn.

Having been in use for over sixty years, the main ashes lawn is now approaching capacity and the crematorium needs to consider ways we can continue to inter ashes within the area.

One option would be to create a new lawn for the future interment of ashes, adjacent to the main drive and the cloisters walkway. This would be the simplest and least disruptive option. However, currently families are able to arrange for the placement of ashes near to those of another member of the family or friend already within the lawn, and this would not be possible with the new lawn option - once the current lawn is full the crematorium would be unable to continue to place ashes there. 

The crematorium would like to continue to offer this facility, so a second option is being considered. If the level of the current lawn was raised overall by approximately one metre in height, covering the existing lawn with soil, a new lawn could be created of exactly the same size and in the same location. This would enable the crematorium to carry on using the existing lawn for many years to come and offer families the choice of placing their loved ones near to existing ashes in the lawn.

It is important to note that all of the ashes currently interred in the lawn will never be disturbed and would remain exactly in the place where they were originally laid to rest.

The new lawn would be higher than the original, with a retaining wall around the perimeter to contain the soil and an ornate railing on top of the wall to provide a safe area to visit. There would also be a ramp installed for wheelchair use, to ensure access for all visitors.

There would be some disruption during the works for approximately 16 weeks, although appointments to inter ashes during these works would continue uninterrupted. There would be absolutely no disturbance to the ashes already within the lawn.  

To help people visualise how a raised lawn might look, we have drawn up an image here:

You can see a map of the gardens showing the locations of options 1 and 2 here.

Why are we consulting?

Knowing this is a sensitive area, we want to hear your views to help us understand your feelings about this issue. The feedback we receive will help us to make a decision about the future of the lawn.

Have your say

Please give us your views using the online survey below.

If you have any further queries, wish to visit the site for a tour of the two areas, or would like a paper copy of the consultation, please contact us at nesc.office@enablelc.org or call 020 3959 0100