Power tool 'ban' for graveyard volunteers

Volunteers say Winchester City Council told them they can no longer use power tools at St Giles Hill Graveyard

Volunteers who look after a graveyard have said the council has banned them from using power tools at the site.

A member of the volunteer group said they had been using "mowers and strimmers" to maintain the disused St Giles Hill Graveyard in Winchester, which they had looked after for 10 years.

The graveyard is owned by Winchester City Council and has been disused for new burials since the 1970s.

The council said it was "working closely" with Friends of St Giles Hill Graveyard and was positive a solution could be found.

Friends of St Giles Hill Graveyard have been maintaining the site, which is owned by Winchester City Council, for 10 years

Dave Stewart, from the group, said the council had contacted the team in mid-January telling them they were no longer allowed to use power tools.

"We were pretty annoyed and made a bit of a fuss about it," he said.

After meeting a council staff member at the site a week later, Mr Stewart said he was "optimistic that something might happen" but later received a phone call from the council.

Mr Stewart said he was told: "'We're going to give you a licence to have one work day as long as you don't use power tools', and then nothing.

"So we don't know what the long-term solution is going to be - if there will be one."

Mr Stewart said the group's work had improved the graveyard's biodiversity and enhanced its wildlife population.

"You really can't do it with a pair of scissors... it needs to have some maintenance," he continued.

"We've been doing this for ten years and we've never had an incident."

The graveyard has been disused for new burials since the 1970s

In a statement, Winchester City Council apologised for "any upset caused" and said it had "no intention of banning" any part of the group's work.

"We had a really positive meeting with the friends of St Giles Hill Graveyard on Friday and we're working closely with them to ensure their work can continue," it said.

"We want to do everything we can to enable volunteers across the district but... we have a duty of care to volunteer groups to ensure that activities and equipment used on our land is sufficiently insured and maintained.

"This is not just for our assurance but theirs and the public's safety too.

"We're positive that we will have a solution for this and look forward to their work continuing."