Poole family devastated by council's grave site suggestion

Jackie Turner and her son Dan have been trying for more than 18 months to pre-purchase a grave in Branksome Cemetery, the same grounds as her deceased daughter, father and several other family members.

But BCP Council said there is “no additional space” in the grounds for Jackie to be buried.

The family believe there is an empty space directly next to that of her daughter Nicola’s resting place.

The resting place of baby Nicola Turner in Branksome Cemetery

Baby Nicola was born prematurely in 1982 along with a twin sister. She died at 27 days old, while sister Diane survived but with life-changing complications.

During attempts to find a space for Jackie upon her passing, a council officer suggested to Dan that they look into “exhuming your sister” and “moving her” to a plot in Kinson Cemetery.

For the family, this suggestion was “disgusting” and reduced 63-year-old Jackie to tears.

Despite merging in 2019, BCP Council-owned graveyards still operate within separate parameters regarding pre-purchasing sites.

Some sites enable residents to pre-purchase a grave, whereas Branksome Cemetery does not.

Dan, 30, said: “I made contact with the old authority to pre-purchase a grave, this was declined. Then the councils merged and said all their policies would become the same – it even said so on the website.

Dan Turner and his mother Jackie in Branksome Cemetery

“But they kept saying they were closed for new burials, but that wasn’t true because we’ve seen fresh burials take place here when visiting my sisters plot.

“I went back to them and told them this but they wouldn’t listen. That’s when they suggested exhuming my sister.

“This has absolutely devastated my mum who was in tears at the suggestion and after I told her was shaken from head to toe.

“We absolutely appreciate that there are rules and policies which have to be followed but there is no consistency in any of it.

“BCP is a unified authority who should be unified in their policy for these things. They should treat all residents the same and look into individual cases because this is deeply upsetting.”

Jackie, who has lived two streets away from the site for 36 years, says she does not mind which part of the cemetery she is laid to rest in as she just wants to be as “close as possible” to her daughter and other relatives.

The emotional mother of four said: “She’s been here for 39 years, there’s no way we’re moving her. This is my daughter’s resting place, what mother could do that? Even to suggest moving her to Kinson, I just can’t get my head around it.”

Branksome Cemetery in Upper Road, Poole

A council spokesperson said: “BCP Council has been in regular contact for several years with Mr Turner in regards to his request.

“Within a cemetery, especially one of significant age, many grave spaces appear unused, but instead may have been used for the purpose of Public Health Funerals, (previously referred to as paupers graves) which are funded by the local authority/Parish.

"These often contain the remains of several individuals in which, at the time to keep cost to a minimum, memorials (headstone) would not have been erected. In other burials, an individual may elect not to erect a headstone or the headstone may have been removed due to safety issues. This unfortunately can give the impression that space is available for a new grave when they are simply unmarked graves.

“We have confirmed to Mr Turner on several occasions that there is no room for his request at Branksome Cemetery and that the spaces he has identified to us are already occupied, for the reasons outlined above.”