From Sunday 25 October, opening times for Birmingham’s cemeteries and crematoria will change.
The current pandemic has meant that the council has had to respond quickly to new guidance and changes around bereavement with limited hours needing to be in place at cemeteries, crematoria, and surrounding grounds, to reflect the increase in funerals taking place and the need to maintain social distancing. This arrangement has now been reviewed following the changes with daylight saving hours.
As such, all Birmingham City Council cemeteries and crematoria will be open on weekdays from 2-4pm (or 6pm where there is flood lighting) for the public to visit. Weekend hours will be from 10am-4pm at most sites.
In recognition that these hours are reduced, one day every week, each site will be open all day to allow people greater flexibility for visiting (8.30am – 4pm, or 6pm where there are flood lights). However, this will mean that no funeral bookings will take place on those days.
Cllr Sharon Thompson, cabinet member for homes and neighbourhoods at Birmingham City Council said, “With daylight hours reducing and night coming earlier, to ensure that our cemeteries and crematoria are kept safe, we have had to bring forward the opening hours, from 4pm to 2pm. However, to try and add some flexibility for those visiting, we’ve increased opening hours at weekends and all day for one day per week. We recognise these changes may be frustrating, but we will must keep changing and adapting as the situation evolves to keep everyone as safe as possible.”
For more information, please visit https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/cemeteries
