South-West Middlesex Crematorium opened in October 1954 and has served the many communities through over 183,000 services to date.
The Crematorium grounds include a Garden of Remembrance where over the years many loved ones have been laid to rest.
The Garden of Remembrance at South-West Middlesex Crematorium is here to provide a place of tranquillity and contemplation for the bereaved. Those qualities can be difficult to achieve in our busy world, but we are helped substantially by our location, nestled between two small but important urban spaces. Crane Park and Pevensey Road Nature Reserve surround the Crematorium on three sides with woodland, wetland and open grassland, creating a habitat enjoyed by the local community and a wide variety of wildlife.
The South-West Middlesex Crematorium Board (SWMCB) are aware to the historical drainage issues within Lawn 3 areas B1,B2,B3,B4,C1&C2 (see map) during sustained periods of rainfall. The sensitivity to its location and to all of the loved ones laid to rest there!
The SWMCB have sought both advice and guidance from the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM) on the potential of alleviating this flooding issue.
The SWMCB have also authorised Honorary Officers to consult with members of Hounslow Councils Flood Resilience Team, to consider ways/advise actions already being taken by the Crematorium to address some of the flooding issues by conducting improvements to the network of underground water drains within the crematorium grounds.
However, it was also explained the Crematorium was reliant on works being conducted around the periphery of the crematorium grounds (owned by Hounslow Council) before any further works to the gulley drains could be taken to alleviate surface rainwater causing flooding to the aforementioned areas of the Garden of Remembrance.
These are essential works and cannot be avoided, to ensure that the SWMCB can offer the option of laying your loved ones to rest within these particular areas of the lawn.
Overview of Works: SWMCB to authorise a third-party drainage contractor, the use of machinery in placing a new drain on the pathway and to sensitively remove the turf, excavate/lay pipework across Lawn 3 to an outlet by the river Crane. Then to sensitively backfill the trench and replace the turf to its original resting place.
Why are we consulting?
Knowing this is a sensitive area, we want to hear your views to help us understand your feelings about this issue. The feedback we receive will help us to make a decision about the future of the lawn and the drainage issue.
Have your say.
Please give us your views by completing the questionnaire below. If you have any further queries or wish to visit the site for a tour of the affected area, please contact us at enquiries@swmcrematorium.gov.uk or call 020 8894 9001
Questionnaire
All the information you provide will be treated in strict confidence and will not be used to identify you personally. It will not be passed on to anyone else and will only be used for the purposes of this consultation. The analysis is done on an anonymous basis under the guidelines of the Data Protection Act. Anonymised data may be published, including publishing comments on our website.