1. Ownership

1.1 The chambers, structure and primary memorials shall remain the property of the London Borough of Bexley (“the Council”) throughout the period of the Lease except for those items with previously approved personalised inscriptions that can be detached without damage to the primary memorialisation.

2. Period of the Lease

2.1 The Exclusive Right of Burial for the facilities is offered on a lease for a period of either 50 or 75 years.

3. Charges

3.1 The Council annually reviews its cemetery fees including charges payable in respect of the exclusive burial area at the Memorial Terrace at Erith Cemetery Village. Consequently, fees and charges may rise or fall.

3.2 All charges payable at the time of the entering into a lease will be applied according to the current annual fees set by the Council. These are non-refundable.

3.3 The charge payable upon the execution of the Lease includes the first interment and all primary memorialisation.

3.4 Subsequent interments will be charged at the rate detailed in the Council’s published fees and charges for the year in which the interment occurs.

4. Residents and non-residents

4.1 Fees and charges differ as between residents and non-residents of the London Borough of Bexley. Fees applicable to deceased residents are charged at a lower rate than that of deceased non-residents.

4.2 To qualify for ‘resident charges’, all persons named must reside in the London Borough of Bexley at the date of the application.

4.3 If, at any time after the Lease has been executed, any of the persons named in the Lease are amended, the fees payable in respect of the substituted person(s) will depend upon whether there is residence or non-residence in the London Borough of Bexley at the time of the amendment. If there is an amendment from a resident to a non-resident, no refund will be payable.

4.4 All non-residents named in the application and Lease shall be charged a set proportion of the non-resident value rate for the grave, based upon the number of chambers in the grave. I.e. the charge for a non-resident interred in a grave set aside for four interments shall be one-quarter of the total non-resident value for the grave. The charge for two non-residents interred in a grave set aside for four interments shall be one half of the total non-resident value for the grave and so on.

5. Maintenance and repair

5.1 It is the responsibility of the holder of the Exclusive Right of Burial (the leaseholder) to ensure that all memorialisation and structures are kept in a continuous state of good repair.

5.2 In the event of any part of the memorial or structure falling into disrepair, the leaseholder shall ensure that suitable and proper repairs are to be carried out. If the necessary repairs are not carried out within a reasonable timescale, the Council will serve a Notice upon the leaseholder specifying the works to be carried out and the timescale for doing so. If the leaseholder fails to comply with the terms of the Notice, the Council shall commission the necessary repairs and the leaseholder shall be recharged the cost of such repairs and the administration fees incurred.

6. Additional memorialisation, inscriptions and mementoes

6.1 Additional approved memorialisation (including inscriptions) is available from the Council at an additional cost that shall be confirmed at the time of submission of the application.

6.2 No alterations to the internal dimensions of the burial chambers are physically possible. Consequently, the maximum external size of a coffin or casket at any point, including projecting handles, that can be interred, is 84” long, 30” wide and 21” high (2133 x 762 x 533mm).

6.3 The Memorial Terrace is an exclusive burial area. In order to maintain the special nature of the terrace, no mementoes are allowed to be permanently placed or fixed on a grave. Items left for special occasions, such as birthdays and anniversaries, are permitted. However, they will be carefully removed by the Council after 14 days and stored in the cemetery compound for 28 days. If not collected within the 28 day period, they will be disposed of.

7. Assignment of chambers

7.1 All persons for whom a grave is intended shall be named in the application and lease. No chamber shall remain unassigned.