Cemetery Service Level Agreement – Joint Statement
Middlewich Town Council Service Level Agreement
Joint Statement from Middlewich Town Council & Cheshire East Council
”Following the cemetery investigation report released in April 2025, and subsequent developments, Middlewich Town Council has now reclaimed complete control over Middlewich Cemetery and is able to confirm that the interim administration will be managed via a service level agreement with Cheshire East Council.
Middlewich Town Council has conducted several burials recently with support from Cheshire East Council to ensure they were documented and recorded correctly.
Moving forward, as part of the agreement, Cheshire East Council’s bereavement services team will be responsible for the administration and daily operations of the cemetery.
Middlewich Town Council will manage the grounds maintenance and infrastructure.
Dedicated website pages for the cemetery documentation, contact information and updates on legal matters will be made available on Middlewich Town Council’s website.
All email enquiries should be directed to: cemetery@middlewichtowncouncil.gov.uk
Enquiries can also be made via the dedicated cemetery phone number 01606 833434 (option 3)”.
End of Statement – Dated: 04th June 2025
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Comments from Town Clerk Safia Kauser:
“After looking at a range of options, this was the right decision for Middlewich Cemetery going forward.
“After nearly a decade-long break from running bereavement services in the town, MTC believes that by outsourcing these important responsibilities to an experienced and well-resourced organisation like Cheshire East Council is the responsible thing to do during this interim period, given the long period where previous oversight at the cemetery has been minimal or non-existence.
“If it turns out there have been procedural irregularities, these will need to be addressed and rectified before running the cemetery becomes a routine matter.
“Cheshire East Council’s wealth of experience makes them the right people to take on this potentially sensitive task and was the only viable option available to MTC and to allow for continuity.
“In terms of both minimising cost to the public and maximising the level of service for cemetery users, this was the smart move for the short-term period and the council will reassess its options in the next 12 months.”
