New memorial areas for lives lost on the roadside
From Cabinet Member for Transport and Highways, Cllr Ted Richards on 14 June 2012
Solihull Council is to create two dedicated memorial areas in its cemeteries for people to remember loved ones who have lost their lives on the borough’s roads.
The areas will be created as part of a new approach that the Council is adopting about roadside memorials.
Roadside memorials such as floral tributes and soft toys are sometimes left by friends and relatives at the scenes of fatal accidents in memory of their loved ones and can be an important part of the grieving process.
The new approach will provide guidance about how long memorials can remain in place and to ensure that they are not placed in locations that would cause a danger to road users and distress to local residents.
Tributes placed on the highway will be allowed to remain in place for up to six weeks following a fatality, or until two weeks after a funeral has taken place. If the memorials have not been taken away after this time or pose a danger to road users, the Council will remove them and take them to the dedicated memorial areas in Robin Hood or Woodlands Cemetery where they will be kept for at least six weeks for the family to collect. Where possible, the families of the deceased will be notified through the police family liaison officer.
Further roadside tributes to mark anniversaries will not be permitted, instead the Council will offer families support in finding suitable permanent locations and memorials. These may be within the Council’s cemeteries, parks or open spaces and may take the shape of trees, benches, bulbs or plaques.
Cabinet Member for Transport and Highways, Councillor Ted Richards said: “We do not underestimate the grief that is caused by the loss of a loved one and we understand that roadside memorials can be a great comfort and play an important part of the grieving process. We have to try and balance this need with the safety of road users and also the distress that can sometimes be caused to other residents who live nearby to memorials.
“We want to create a fair approach to all of these issues along with the creation of dedicated memorial areas in our cemeteries to provide safe, tranquil places to remember in peace loved ones whose lives have been lost on our roads.”
The memorial areas will be ready for use from 1 September at which point the Council will also start to deal with roadside memorials in the new way.
For more information contact Kath Hemmings, Neighbourhood Manager 0121 704 6358 or email: kathrynhemmings@solihull.gov.uk
For enquiries from members of the press and media only: 0121 704 8373
Email: juharrison@solihull.gov.uk