Sinn Féin call for talks on earlier cemetery opening hours in Derry & Strabane
Sinn Féin Councillor Tina Burke has called on Derry & Strabane Council to look at opening cemeteries in the city and district earlier.
Colr. Burke’s call comes after the Council announced last week it was closing the cemetery an hour earlier at 8.30pm instead of 9.30pm due to earlier sunsets.
Following the closure of all cemeteries during the lockdown, the Council cemeteries reopened in May but only from 2.30pm.
The Council stated that this was to facilitate social distancing at funerals in the mornings and afternoons, and the measure has remained in place ever since.
Many local people however have over recent weeks expressed concern that this has not been reviewed to allow for earlier opening times as the darker nights draw in.
Colr. Burke said: “Following the announcement from Council that they have planned to close the City Cemetery an hour earlier, we in Sinn Féin will be asking for a discussion in and around looking into earlier opening times.
“Obviously now we are going into a period of more dark nights and with restrictions being lifted it’s important that people get enough time in the day to go and visit their loved ones.”
Traditionally, most cemeteries across the north west were opened from early morning till late evening in the brighter months, but closed at 4.30pm during the darker months of autumn and winter.