How £260k was spent to ‘fix’ flooded Walsall children’s graves
Graves at North Walsall Cemetery still become waterlogged after rainfall, despite more than £250,000 being allocated by Walsall Council four years ago to fix the problem.
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The problem arose from poor drainage caused by the cemetery’s location on glacial till, which makes the soil unable to absorb water very well, and recent poor weather has left many of the plots submerged, leaving grieving families calling for more to be done as they are unable to tend to the graves.
A Freedom of Information request asked Walsall Council for a detailed explanation of how the allocated funds were spent and the response was as follows:
Haystoun Construction – £187,008.99
The funds to Haystoun Construction paid for the laying of various pipes across the site and connecting existing drainage to the new area, 17 inspection chambers, a headwall to manage overflow to a pond outlet and construction of a temporary road.
Tarmac Trading Limited – £43,524.33
Tarmac Trading Limited installed a temporary road, additional pathways across new cremated remains sections, and a burial raft across new sections of existing site.
Cemetery Design Services and Consultancy Limited – £21,450.00
As the site has been previously established as a flood risk, site surveys were required to ensure the site will meet future planning application requirements.
For £21,450, Cemetery Design Services and Consultancy Ltd provided topographic and hydro-topographic surveys, hydro-geological investigation, deep core sampling, profile pit analysis, soil analysis, utility mapping and flood risk assessments.
The report also detailed additional spending of £12,457.87 on miscellaneous expenses, including fees for in-house engineers, landscaping, and site preparation.
The total cost of the project – £261,441.19
While parents have called for more to be done, Walsall Council said the drainage situation has ‘vastly improved’ following the investment.
A spokesperson said: “Bereavement services staff monitored the site over the weekend with additional patrol visits and no concerns were raised by any visiting families. Staff were working across the whole service yesterday to alleviate any situations given the forecasted amber weather warning of rain in place for Walsall.
“The council invested over £200,000 in 2020, which has vastly improved drainage across the site. Heavy rainfall in early September this year created some considerable surface water on site, which cleared the following morning showing the success of the installed drainage to clear the affected areas.
“Should further issues arise the council will review the situation and take appropriate action.”
