Yelvertoft Cemetery

Any person who is, or has been, as permanent resident in Yelvertoft Parish may choose the cemetery as their final resting place.

Burial, if chosen, either in advance or by bereaved relatives, is available mostly in single plots.  Unfortunately, there is a water table under the yet unused part of the cemetery.  This problem restricts the digging of double depth graves as they are most likely to fill with water.  Unfortunately, it is not possible until the grave is dug to know whether this problem will occur. Consequently, it has been decided not to double dig.  It is advisable that those who wish to be buried close to loved ones reserve single plots next to each other.

Those persons who prefer cremation can choose to have the cremated remains (ashes) either buried in a designated smaller plot, marked with a small headstone or plaque, or in an existing reserved grave.  Alternatively, ashes may be scattered on the Rose Garden.  The granite memorial stones surrounding the Rose Garden can be engraved in memory of a loved one whose ashes are scattered there.  If ashes are scattered or buried in the cemetery it is a legal requirement that this is recorded by the Parish Council so you must contact them before scattering any ashes.

There are a number of cremated remains buried along the hedgerow on the right hand side of the cemetery as you enter through the gate.  It is planned to edge this area with kerb stones and with an edged pathway to join with the Rose Garden.

Anyone wishing to reserve a plot, either for burial or cremated remains, should contact the Burial Officer or Assistant Burial Officer.

Burial Officer, Samantha Haywood, 07305 801095.  clerk@yelvertoft-pc.gov.uk

Assistant Burial Officer, Vivien Twort, Tel: 823827.

Vivien Twort, Assistant Burial Officer for Yelvertoft Cemetery

Yelvertoft Cemetery

Any person who is, or has been, as permanent resident in Yelvertoft Parish may choose the cemetery as their final resting place.

Burial, if chosen, either in advance or by bereaved relatives, is available mostly in single plots.  Unfortunately, there is a water table under the yet unused part of the cemetery.  This problem restricts the digging of double depth graves as they are most likely to fill with water.  Unfortunately, it is not possible until the grave is dug to know whether this problem will occur. Consequently, it has been decided not to double dig.  It is advisable that those who wish to be buried close to loved ones reserve single plots next to each other.

Those persons who prefer cremation can choose to have the cremated remains (ashes) either buried in a designated smaller plot, marked with a small headstone or plaque, or in an existing reserved grave.  Alternatively, ashes may be scattered on the Rose Garden.  The granite memorial stones surrounding the Rose Garden can be engraved in memory of a loved one whose ashes are scattered there.  If ashes are scattered or buried in the cemetery it is a legal requirement that this is recorded by the Parish Council so you must contact them before scattering any ashes.

There are a number of cremated remains buried along the hedgerow on the right hand side of the cemetery as you enter through the gate.  It is planned to edge this area with kerb stones and with an edged pathway to join with the Rose Garden.

Anyone wishing to reserve a plot, either for burial or cremated remains, should contact the Burial Officer or Assistant Burial Officer.

Burial Officer, Samantha Haywood, 07305 801095.  clerk@yelvertoft-pc.gov.uk

Assistant Burial Officer, Vivien Twort, Tel: 823827.

Vivien Twort, Assistant Burial Officer for Yelvertoft Cemetery

Yelvertoft on BBC Northampton

Many residents took part in a live broadcast for BBC Northampton on 13th March 2017 highlighting what it is like to live in Yelvertoft and detailing what benefits the village has to offer. You can listen to the broadcast via the BBC website at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04thwng until 13th April 2017. Many thanks to everyone who took part –  a true community event!

Street Lights Repaired

We are pleased to announce that all street lighting has now been repaired, or had a temporary replacement fitted until the new lighting arrives.  However, the light at the top of Elkington Road/High Street that has caused a lot of problems over the last year could not be fixed as the fuse has blown in the metal box which the contractors could not get open. They could not apply further force in the heavy rain as it was so close to the power lines. Please bear with us with this one.

Yelvertoft Street Lighting

Unfortunately, we have been in the unusual situation this year of having suffered many street light failures. We currently have seven lights out. We have had 10 light failures this year and some have failed more than once. We usually only suffer from one or two failures per annum.

Our street lighting is now very old. You will have seen that we have had 8 new street lights. These lights had to be replaced as they were the old mercury lamps which are no longer supported and/or were on unsafe concrete columns. These were at a cost of £16,944 including VAT. We have a further 38 lights to replace. If we buy the lights individually we can expect to pay around £1,700 (£66,500 for 38 lights) each but if we buy in bulk, it amounts to around £700-£1,000 each, so a considerable saving. All the new lights are eco and are dimmed during midnight and 5am. This enables us all to save a considerable amount of money on maintenance (100% for several years) and electricity (80% due to the new lights being eco and dimmed).

Over the past year we have spent hundreds of hours sourcing street light suppliers, looking at light options in brochures, visiting surrounding villages/towns to see them in situ, having site visits with suppliers, talking to companies regarding finance, liaising endlessly with Eon to get as many lights repaired as possible in the meantime (some are no longer repairable), working out electricity and maintenance savings, etc.

Four quotes have been received for the new lighting:

  • Premier Street Lighting £38,855
  • Eon £46,000
  • Kier £42,893.
  • Britton £38,870

We estimate savings on the electricity to be £1,400 p.a., 80%, so this saving will be used to help pay back a loan.

A company called Salix offer interest free loans but we cannot meet their pay back  term on the lighting.  The Green Bank, Northampton County Council and the Public Works Loan Board Loan (PWLB) are also being investigated as these are the other funding options open to us.  We have to initially apply via NCALC for a loan to gain permission from the Department for Communities and Local Government. We are considering applying for part of the loan from Salix and part from PWLB.

Due to there being seven lights out in the village, the time it takes to apply for a loan, a lead time of 10 weeks on the new lamps, the new supplier has offered to come and fix, or temporary replace, the street lights that are out for a very low of £450.  This work is due to be carried out any time now (we hope by the time you read this as they promised around Christmas).

Yelvertoft is on the lowest council tax rates in the whole county. For a band D property:

Yelvertoft residents currently pay £46 per household per annum, Lilbourne £50, Kilsby £74 and Crick £81. We are proposing to increase the Parish Council contribution next year by £8,000, to help pay for the new lighting, which will equate to an additional £1.94 per household per month.

We have been saving for the new lighting over many years and have £12,000.  We have £2,000 p.a. from the Lilbourne windfarm.  We propose to use £1,000 p.a. of this fund each year to give to village organisations by way of grants and use the remaining £1,000 to use to pay back the street lighting loan per annum also. We estimate the loan repayments to be £4,000 p.a. but are still negotiating. We are aiming for the new lights to be ordered in January and work to commence 10 weeks later as the lights have a 10-week lead time.

We hope that you find this an acceptable solution to our street light problem. If you have any queries or feedback then please do contact the Clerk, Samantha Haywood, yelvertoftpc@btinternet.com by 25th January 2017. You are also welcome to contact any Councillor. Their details are on the website, in the notice board opposite Squisito, or in the Parish News.    

All resident are welcome to attend the Parish Council meetings which are held the second Monday of each month in the Reading Room, 7.30pm, except January and August.

Yelvertoft Parish Council, December 2016