A council has banned charity volunteers who have caused a lawn mower for a medieval cemetery in the past decade – stating health and safety reasons.
The group, which has maintained the old St Giles Hill -Kerkhof in Hampshire, fears that they might have to stop taking care of the resting place.
The friends of St. Giles have told that they cannot use power tools on the site – the resting place of a Titanic victims and seven WWI victims – because of the insurance rules of the Winchester municipal council.
Since then they have warned that they cannot keep the cemetery that offers a beautiful view of Winchester, if they have to keep the grass low 'use scissors'.
Although a volunteer has never suffered an injury while he takes care of in the area, said chartered chairman Dave Stewart, 73, that the council apparently had a 'sudden' of heart.
Winchester City Council told the friends via a phone call to stop using Power Tools earlier this month.
In a follow -up e -mail, an official said: 'I understand that you are irritated about this, because you have been maintaining the cemetery for so many years without problems using this tools …
'Please know that we really are not trying to be difficult, we appreciate and appreciate all the work that you do in the cemetery …
'However, it is more complex than we had expected and we have consulted with our insurers, health and safety and other councils to ensure that we arrive at the right decision for this authority.
The Winchester city council has banned charity volunteers who have caused a medieval cemetery in the past decade by using a lawn mower and the reasons for health and safety stating
The friends of St. Giles have told that they can no longer use power tools on the site due to the insurance rules of Winchester City (shown: Dr. David J Stewart)
“This must be incredibly frustrating for you, but we have no other option than to explore the implications of the use of electric tools more thoroughly.”
Dr. Stewart said that the group has its own insurance to use electrical aids such as lawn mowers, but will be forced to close if the ban remains in place.
Since 2014, the friends have been taking care of St Giles Hill Graveyard and the council has even sent some of their staff to help the good Samaritans occasionally.
The council promised a 'full statement' for the prohibition, but even after meeting the charity managers on January 24, there was no thing like that.
But Dr. Stewart said they cannot continue without lawn mowers and other electrical aids. Dr. Stewart said: 'It's pretty fast that it will come in the growing season. Everything starts to grow by March and we can't really keep track of it.
'All because we have projects to develop, meadow areas and in fact we have to keep the place in good condition to be able to do those things.
'So we can't hold back grasses and other vegetation with the help of scissors. And Trimmers would take a large number of volunteers a lot of time to do that.
Dr. Stewart is concerned about the consequences if the ban is not quickly lifted, and added that the group had spent it ten years [the graveyard] In a good form, “before adding:” And it could be very good that it can be overgrown again within a year, things grow so fast. '
The friends started their work at the cemetery on ad hocbasis to cherish the land and animals in the wild before they became a good cause in 2019 to get insurance to use the lawn mower.
The site dates from the Middle Ages, but the oldest observable grave in the cemetery dates from 1694. Winchester City Council officially took the lead over the resting place against the end of 2021.
Retired geologist Dr. Stewart said that the group has around 75 volunteers, working in groups between 10 and 12, where each person works every month.
He said that charity has become a group where people make and socialize friends.
He said: “The tragedy is that our volunteers like to come here … If we had to leave the thing because of this, it would be both tragic for them and we.”
The council promised to explain what they did to implement the lawn mower ban during a meeting with the charity on January 24 this year.
Instead, the council representative only said that she would try to solve the problem by drawing up a license agreement.
Although a volunteer has never suffered an injury while he takes care of in the area, said chartered chairman Dave Stewart, 73, that the council apparently had a 'sudden' of heart.
The volunteers are planning to work at the cemetery at the beginning of February, but cannot be lifted if the prohibition is not canceled by that time.
The volunteers are planning to work at the cemetery on 1 February, but will not be able to or the prohibition will not be lifted by that time.
Dr. Stewart said: 'If we have not had a resolution or indication of resolution, we will close things until further notice.
“She tries to get something done in February.”
The Winchester city council was approached for comment.
A spokesperson for the city council said earlier: 'We are very sorry that we have made up to the volunteers of the Friends or St Giles Hill Graveyard.
'We were by no means planning to undermine or underestimate the incredible work they do.
'Although we had everyone's safety in mind, it is clear that we should have treated this situation better and offered solutions.
'We have had direct contact with the chairman of the volunteer group and have agreed to meet each other so that we can give a complete explanation and a resolution.
“We absolutely want the brilliant work that the friends do to continue, and we will work with them to make sure it is possible if they want to do.”
