‘Unique’ cemetery says grieving relatives must pay for VIP pass to visit graves

The Garden of Remembrance in Stoke-on-Trent is charging for out-of-hours visits (Picture: Stoke Sentinel)

A cemetery has started charging £5 per visit to their loved one’s graves.

Grieving relatives can still access the Garden of Remembrance in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, for free between 9am and 3pm from Monday to Friday.

But after 19 years in operation, the graveyard will soon requires the purchase of a one-off VIP pass for visits outside normal operating hours.

This costs £5 to visit a grave or cremation plot, and £10 per person to visit the rose garden, according to notices erected on the Spring Garden Road site.

Electric gates will prevent anyone without a VIP pass from accessing the grounds.

It won’t come into force until January, but it’s already causing outrage among people whose family and friends are buried there, Stoke Sentinel reports.

Jode Bourne, whose father Mark was laid to rest there, said: ‘Now I need to pay a membership fee to visit my dad’s grave.

‘This is an absolute disgrace. Shame on you Garden of Remembrance.’

Opened 19 years ago, The Garden of Remembrance describes itself as a ‘unique’ independently owned cemetery (Picture: Stoke Sentinel)

A notice at the cemetery states: ‘From January 2025 this site will be protected by electric gates.

‘The gates at the front of the site will open and close automatically at set times.

‘Entrance to the cemetery will be via a VIP pass making the site secure for our staff, families and visitors.

‘Please ensure you have your pass in good time for the New Year.’

A second notice states: ‘For visitors who do not have a VIP pass, access to the cemetery will be between the office hours of 9am to 3pm Monday to Friday only.

‘Please note, there will be no access at the weekend, on bank holidays, or any other dates when the office is closed. Thank you for your co-operation.’

However, cemetery owner Jason Taft – who has spent £8,000 on increased security – claims the information on the signs is wrong.

Instead, he said, normal access to the 1,300 graves is between 9am and 5pm in winter, and until 7pm in summer.

Mr Taft, who claims to have handed out 90 free passes to the most vulnerable visitors, said: ‘There are 1,300 graves there and we could not send that many keys out so people can come and get a card if they want one.

‘We are not locking people out and this gives them access to the cemetery until 9pm when we would normally be closed.

‘People can know it’s safe when they’re visiting and they’ll be safe from undesirables breaking in now.

‘The key cards are not coming into force until January 1 because people wouldn’t be happy if we did it before Christmas.’

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